Leverage, position, advantage
by mtziggorot
Summary: Trained by Count Dooku I engaged in the clone wars along side the separatists and delved into the dark side of the force, but my outlook on life changed slightly after meeting Aalya Secura. I am Narcyz Dahrk and this is my story. An OC developed for this story. I will try to keep the story and the OC balanced. The pairing will be OC and Aalya Secura.
1. Narcyz Dahrk

I watched the red blade meet my own in a flurry of blows. I kept trying to clear my mind and focus on the duel at hand however the man I was engaged in combat with made that all the more difficult with his constant streams of insults delivered in a conversational tone.

"If that's the best you can do boy I should give you to Ventress for training you obviously still have lightyears to go before you're ready to face me." The count smirked as he continued to counter my attacks.

I gritted my teeth, he knew that woman was my weak point. I took a step back while sucking in a quick breath and holding for a three count it before letting it escape my lungs.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I mentally repeated the mantra over and over as I felt my feelings calm. I focused on the way my hand was warming metal of the curved handled lightsaber I held in my hand, a saber which was designed by the man that I was currently dueling to be the perfect weapon to employ the lightsaber combat style of Makashi. There was a slip in his guard and I moved in to capitalize on it however the next thing I knew I was on the ground and Count Dooku was in the process of catching my saber and leveling his own at my throat.

"You managed to control your emotions better this time, however you still aren't focusing enough on the force aspect of the duel otherwise you would have sensed my intentions to lead you into the trap that ultimately would have killed you had this not been an exercise. You must remember child that even though we are physically clashing blades with one another the force it was really has the power to overcome." My teacher instructed me in the same tone of voice he did everything in. He was the master of calm while I enjoyed only a causal relationship with it.

"Yes master" I said on instinct as he withdrew the blade of light from my throat and dropped my own on the floor behind him as he turned to walk away his perfectly tailored cape flowing behind him.

When I picked up the curved cylinder my senses frizzled a little. I was quite familiar with the sense though as it always altered me to a single person's presence. It was strange that in the presence of Count Dooku one of the most powerful force users I could only detect his presence when focused solely on him but the female Dathomirian I could feel her in the force whenever she was on what seemed like the same planet as myself. I guessed it was just to demonstrate the difference between her use of the force and Dooku's.

* * *

To be honest I couldn't wait to see Ventress, the prized student, and ask her about her most recent mission. I was planning to savior every moment of her anger when I confronted her with her defeat at the hands of Yoda our masters former teacher and the one he fought to a stalemate on Geonosis.

I tried to walk at a subdued pace but found my excitement rising with each step while steadily increasing my footfalls to the point that I was almost running to see her. When I made it to the small mess hall, as befitting a ship with few living inhabitants and lots of droids, I saw her. Pale, lithe, and tattooed she cut the figure of the bad girl that ever male fantasizes about upon hitting puberty, and I could also immediately tell she was upset which I found all the more appealing as it was enjoyable to see the apple of Dooku's eye in such a state.

"I must say Asajj you're quite fetching when you're angry it must be the way your body tremors with rage I bet the motion would feel nice in other situations." I said while moving behind her and retrieving a drink from a large container.

She turned to glare at me but I continued, and cut her off before she could retort. "If you're still in such a mood I'll come by your quarters later to help you relieve some of it. I'm sure the pillow talk about how you failed to bring the Toydarians under our control because of an old green midget will be almost as enjoyable as the feel of your body under me." I said intentionally trying to goad her into a reaction.

It worked as I was suddenly slammed against a counter top when Ventress grasped my throat and forced me back. The anger in her eyes was alight with the passion that fueled our force abilities and I felt the force flowing in her like a raging tidal wave in an angry ocean. Sometimes it was a little too easy to egg her on, but it was always enjoyable. The squeeze on my throat though was getting tighter however so I decided it may be best end it before one of us got hurt and drew our masters ire. After all the dark side of the force was not forgiving. With this in mind I reached forward and grasped the wrist of the hand that was around my neck.

"You arrogant child, you've no idea what happens in the war what with the master's constant coddling you. Only a true sith would be allowed the missions I've undertaken so insult me again when you get out of training PADAWAN!" she snared at me while also insulting me with the reference of a Jedi learner. I was no Jedi. The anger in me flared up as well and I delivered a sharp blow to her stomach forcing her back and releasing my throat. I felt the force gather around me in angry spurts and bursts as I prepared my powers. In retrospect I supposed it was easy for her to egg me on as well.

She whirled on me her two lightsabers appearing in her hand with lightning speed. I smirked as my plan came to fruition. "Your emotions cloud your judgement I suppose they goaded you into reacting rather than thinking no wonder you failed you allowed yourself to become just a dumb brute we have droids for that my darling."

"You little . . . " She snarled but was cut off.

"I believe he is quite right allowing yourself to be so easily manipulated. The dark side relies on hatred and anger as emotions but we must rely on the superiority of the mind to guide our emotions or we are nothing." Dooku's smooth cultured voice instructed us.

It had worked out perfectly, well other than my actually getting angry with her, as Dooku was a creature of habit and would be by the mess hall to get a bite to eat after lightsaber sparring as he had done nearly every day since I had trained with him. Seeing this would raise my stock in his eye and lower Ventress' own putting me one step closer to being the next sith to be chosen.

"Yes master" we both said, and Asajj stepped away from me tucking her blades back into her belt.

"Now I believe I have an assignment for you." Dooku said looking directly at me.

* * *

My name is Narcyz Dahrk I am a force sensitive born to human parents on Stygeon Prime and orphaned at a young age. I grew up under the care of a man I met when I was very young, Count Dooku, when I met him he was a Jedi that wrestled with taking me to the Jedi temple and ultimately decided not to in order to keep me away from the corruption that was taking hold. However, when he left the order and started his separatist movement I quickly fell in line with him. He trained me in the use of the force and in fencing and dueling with a lightsaber, but when he was away on other business I was instructed in more conventional weaponry such as blasters by bounty hunters and droids. The count was a fearsome man but one that was worthy of my admiration, and I was even starting to believe in his cause.

Which brought me to what I was doing right now, preparing for the first mission he had trusted me with since this galaxy wide conflict broke out. It wasn't glamorous it was merely a weapons test on some no name planet in the outer rim some place called Maridun. It was a stepping stone to a greater command and more of my master's trust, so I would carry it out to the best of my ability.

First thing was first however, I had to prepare myself for the journey. Pressing the button and listening to the beep as the drawer opened I looked through my clothing. I lead a very minimalist lifestyle, so I didn't have much. I pulled on the black compressed suit meant to make space flight and change in atmospheric pressure more tolerable. On top of that I placed a plan brown long sleeved shirt and a set of black fabric pants. I then strapped a blaster holster onto my belt and putting a slender blaster pistol into it. I know if you use a lightsaber you aren't supposed to use a blaster, but I find that sometimes a long-range weapon is a wise idea. The lightsaber went on a clip near the back of my belt and I pulled on a brown shawl to cover my weaponry up and took a good look at myself in the mirror.

Standing at five feet eleven inches and weighing in at 180 pounds I was wiry and lean, a good build for my style of swordsmanship, with dark nearly black hair that I kept cut into a short military haircut which contrasted hard against my pale skin, and light blue eyes encircled in a ring of dark blue around the iris that many people described as piercing. I would never claim to be the best-looking creature in the galaxy, but I was far from the worst. I pulled and adjusted the clothing to try and conceal my lightsaber the best I could before I went to meet the general that was testing the weapon.

* * *

General Lok Durd was a robust male Neimoidian who was dressed in finery and an air of self-imposed superiority. Just seeing his tall, fat figure I immediately didn't like him however when he spoke he solidified his position as a being I would dislike.

"What took you so long boy? It's bad enough I must babysit you but being late is unacceptable. Now prepare the cruiser and load the droids we haven't got all day." His voice was rich and cultured with an air of pompous superiority.

"It would seem to me if you were really in such a hurry you would've loaded the droids already." I retorted I couldn't help it I didn't like the Neimoidian or being ordered around by anyone who wasn't my master.

"Apparently you aren't aware of your place child I'm a general and what are you?" He questioned with a smirk.

I felt my hands squeeze tight before they disappeared under my shawl and gripped my saber. The force was coursing through me and I felt my anger rising while I created a spark of hate for the man from seemingly nothingness to fuel my power I felt strong. It would be so simple to strike down the fat creature before me.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I went over the mantra in my head a few times to calm my nerves and extinguish the flames of hatred I sparked from nothingness obviously the man had done nothing to me other than talk, and therefore killing the general would not put me in a better position with my master. At least killing him in the hanger before he tested the weapon that I had been assigned to carry out wouldn't. I loosened my grip on the concealed saber and smirked.

"Actually 'general' I'm the one that has been sent to babysit you after all a routine weapons test is hardly a mission the Count would send an important general on, you're nothing but fodder to him Lok. Now when you are ready I'll be on the ship." I said putting a mocking emphasis on the general part, and then walking by him and onto the ship.

* * *

I always found space cold and lonely. It not that there isn't a sort of beauty that the universe has but the beauty was more of a cold and weary thing. Its grandeur was impressive for about ten minutes when you were first immersed in it, but after a while all the stars passing by blended together and the vastness remained unchanging. The universe would be more interesting as a still frame picture rather than a constantly moving and involving place. Well that and I wasn't the biggest fan of space flight it always took a while and it felt very confining on the ship. Ironic that an endless emptiness would feel confining.

My wrist communicator sounded, and I pressed to answer it with the ease of a practiced routine. "Dahrk"

A droids robotic computerized tone came through. "General Durd orders your presence on the main bridge."

I scoffed, he was ordering me? Only Dooku could order me. "Sorry I didn't get that." I said and then turned the wrist communicator off, leaned back in the chair I was sitting in, and closed my eyes.

The meditation I was taught allowed me to focus inward, so I did a sort of 'systems check' of my physical body. After all you are your body. I felt good my body was in tip top shape. After that I focused on the Force. The roaring feel of fire engulfed me. It was warm and inviting it shaped the world around me showing me that I could destroy the things in my sight. I then focused on an empty metal cup I had been drinking from that was placed on the desk and drew on the Force. Telekinesis was the ability my powers had first manifested in, although Dooku repeatedly told me I just needed more practice and a deeper understanding of the Force to unlock more powers; For the moment however, telekinesis satisfied me. The cup lifted off the table and began to spin around in the air. Satisfied with that result I closed my eyes and opened the carefully constructed restrains on my anger, allowing it to flow through the Force to crush the cup. The sound of warping metal filled the small room and when I reopened my eyes the cup had been crushed into a small cube while the anger in me coursed through singing to me.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I felt my nerves clam as I rose from the chair. Besides affirming my strength my meditation taught me that if I wanted to continue my mission I HAD to go to the bridge regardless of how much I wanted to spite the fat Neimoidian. Otherwise I wouldn't have any of the information needed on the weapon. With a heavy sigh I pulled my shawl back over and made sure it hid my equipment before I exited my room. The ship was vast and cold since only metal, droids, ships, supplies etc. are stored. Very few of the passengers had a core temperature to worry about so the ships didn't waste much time on large scale heating and cooling and instead installed smaller units in just a few rooms. Luckily for me when I stepped onto the bridge the heat was pumped up to accommodate the large general.

"Nice of you to join us." The general sarcastically quipped in that annoying aristocratic voice of his.

I put my gaze on him for a long moment wondering how the force crush ability would work on him, maybe it would shrink him a couple of waist sizes at least.

"I had to jump to another star system, so I could eat, as it seems you've eaten all the food in this one." I took a seat and looked him dead in the eyes to see if he would challenge me; He didn't and instead returned his attention to a hologram that was active in the middle of a meeting table. That course of events wasn't shocking after all it was just him and me in this room, droids didn't count they were cold lifeless hunks of metal that obeyed whomever was their programed leader.

"As I was saying tactical droid once we reach the planet we will set up a mobile operation base and deploy my defoliator tank there for a test. We will then proceed to a small village of migrant Lurmens to test the weapon on living sentient beings. Afterwards we will report my success to Count Dooku."

Seriously that's what he wanted to discuss? His plan for ascending through the ranks of the separatist army? I stood and began to walk away but then stopped and looked back at Durd. "Don't waste my time with such trivial matter again."

Just to ensure that my point was made I focused on the battle droid standing near the general and let my anger at the general flow through me while making a squeezing gesture with my right hand. The droid folded in on itself before a great screeching of metal was heard that indicated the reduction of the droid into a useless cube of metal and wires. Once the droid was crushed I exited the room walking quickly though the hallways and back to my room.

Leverage, position, advantage.

* * *

The drop from hyperspace woke me. It was never a pleasant thing to experience the sudden stop after moving so quickly for so long. It was only cumulated by the fact that I was asleep and completely unprepared for the stop which resulted in a rather unceremonious fall to the floor from my sleeping cot.

"Force be damned" I grumbled as I picked myself up from the floor.

Just as I was standing up I heard a robotic voice come over the loudspeaker system of the ship. "Attention all units to their stations and prepare for shuttle drops to the planet Maridun."

Pulling myself from the floor I moved quickly to put on my gear and rushed out to the hanger. When I arrived, and I saw them loading the defoliator tank into one of the multitude of dropships that were being prepped to land. I saw the fat general waddling about shouting out orders to his programed servants all the while making his way to the ship with the tank on it. I made up my mind to actually talk to the general and walked calmly through the room still nurturing an anger about the way I was woken. When I was in range I approached the general to find out all that was about to happen.

"What are you doing, have you cleared a landing zone yet?" I asked my voice coming out harsher than usual, okay so the calm thing didn't work out this time.

"The landing zone was cleared on my last trip here; this backwater planet hasn't changed a bit." Durd said in his overconfident voice although his response almost elected a sigh of frustration from me.

"Perhaps it would be prudent of us to scan the area of the landing zone, and scan the area in and around the village you wish to strike with your field test again to ensure nothing has changed." It was more of a statement than a question, but I figured posing it as a question would get the best result. As the general may think I cared about his plan.

"There is no need it is time that we get to the planet and test my weapon. Now come." The general said as he boarded a landing shuttle.

I took a long look at him before turning and delving deeper into the ship heading toward the command bridge while waving a dismissive hand toward the general. "I'll catch up."

"Scan the general's landing zone" I ordered once I made it to the command bridge.

"Roger roger." The droid toned out and it started pressing buttons with its poorly designed three fingered mechanical hand.

"It looks like the landing zone is clear." The droid said after a moment and I looked at the holographic scan report it did indeed seem clear and the planet.

"Now scan the areas in and around the village, wide scan set the parameters at 30 miles." I said not wanting any surprises.

"Roger roger." Again the droid replied.

"Sir there appears to be a recent crash site near the village it's still smoking, looks like a republic ship."

Now that was interesting, and more importantly I would get to tell the idiot general I told him so. Now however I wondered what was going on out here that would cause a republic ship to crash land. There wasn't a battle fought out here as far as I knew. It was certainly worth investigating so I left the command room and moved quickly through the halls to return to the hanger bay. Once there I commandeered a ship along with a pilot droid and took off for the crash site.

* * *

The crash site was empty of life, but I was unable to find any bodies and there were tracks and drag marks from the wrecked remains of the ship indicated that they moved in the direction of the landing zone, and the village Lok Durd planned on testing his weapon on. I whirled on the droid I had with me.

"Where is the general now?"

The droid looked about as befuddled as a droid possibly could before it answered me with an almost human like motion of its arms. "The general should be at the landing zone now."

I took for the village at a dead run without bothering to see if the droid was following, it was just a hunk of metal after all. The tall grass of the planet hid me well even at the pace I set as my passage was marked by nothing more than a slight parting of the grass. I felt as my heart hammered in my ears and allowed my current discomfort to fuel my anger and focused on my connection to the force with the intent to enhance and sustain my body as I ran. Anger flowed through me as I reached a village that was currently being shot apart, and searched by droids. I came to a stop while still in the tall grass and observed what was happening while trying to calm myself.

Leverage, position, advantage.

As I calmed my senses sharpened and I saw them, five in total, a pair of people in clone armor carrying a wounded man dressed in a dark Jedi jerkin, and two other people, a blue female twi'lek and a young togruta female both dressed in rather revealing clothing that didn't look practical or modest enough to be Jedi garb, however they both wore metal cylinders at their hips that could be lightsabers. Now I had a choice to make. I could either follow the group and spy on them perhaps finding an opening to take them out, or I could report what I found to the general and gather reinforcements to attack them while also giving the group time to hide, the wounded man to recover, and letting the Jedi devise a counter strategy. Making my choice I quickly barked into my wrist com what I had seen, hoping that the general would listen, and took off toward the group of republic fighters.

Following them without being detected was actually a lot easier than I expected as the tall grass and their desire for rapid exodus hid my approach. I got close enough to overhear them as they finally came to a stop in a small clearing that was completely surrounded by grass. I leaned in and stilled my body and emotions as I eagerly awaited whatever they had to say. I was closer enough to identify the injured man as Anakin Skywalker a man that my master Count Dooku had already bested. My eyes lingered on his animatronic arm and I self-consciously gripped my arm while feeling glad that my master had not been as brutal to me as he was to Skywalker.

"Yanno I can't figure those villagers not wanting to fight, no pride I guess." One of the clones said as he waved his hand about and clutched his blaster.

"I call it no courage." One of the Jedi, a small togruta girl that was sitting down eating a ration stick said. Now that I was so close to her I could tell she was young, younger than I was that was certain. I felt inclined to agree with the girl anyone who just lays down and lets an invasive force push them around had no courage.

"Sometimes it takes courage to stick to one's beliefs young Padawan as any Jedi well knows." The blue twi'lek woman said. Now that I was standing so close I found the twi'lek girl awe inspiring. She was strikingly beautiful with very delicate defined features of the face, an athletic body common to most twi'lek females with very wide hips that I found myself wondering what it would be like to hold onto. She was, distracting.

"We need to find a ship! And I think the only one around here belongs to the separatists." Skywalker exclaimed as he settled on the ground and looked around.

I saw it than, a scout droid hidden in the grass, although it wasn't staying low enough to avoid exposing its antennae. Droids were nearly as crippling as they were useful.

"Sir you talking about stealing from the clankers? Count me in!" One of the clones said as he pulled his blaster rifle close to his body and moved his arms in an approving gesture.

"We need to find them first." The lovely blue female pointed out.

The droid got dangerously close and was about to expose itself, I went completely still as it advanced forward. The force flowed about me and the tingling I felt warned of danger although it was clear to see the droid was about to expose itself.

"I think we just did." The Padawan jumped up and pointed toward the grass on the opposite side of where I was hiding as the recon droid hovered a little too high above the grass.

"Blast it!" Skywalker shouted, and the clones opened fire.

The clones and Padawan rushed off immediately after the droid turned to flee while the lovely Jedi hesitated for a second casting a glance back at Skywalker who assured her he was fine before she took off after the droid as well albeit at a walking pace. Now was my chance I un-holstered my blaster and lined up a shot on Skywalker in the area around his waist that was heavily bandaged, paused a second to get my breathing right, and fired. The blast took him full in the back and he folded on himself and upon hitting the ground he stopped moving. I rushed from my cover to his side, but it was then that I was pushed from my feet by a great irresistible power. I landed rolled to my feet and fired my blaster at the downed Skywalker. This time I was able to locate my attacker as she leapt nimbly about halfway between Skywalker and I and reflected my blast back at me. I dodged it easily enough and faced the blue woman that prevented me from reaching Skywalker.

"Aren't you lovely."

Seriously that was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I first saw her. I fought the blush of embarrassment, not at saying she was pretty but, that my attraction to her was the first thing I could think to comment on. Master of the witty dialect that's me. Thankfully the Jedi didn't seem to care what I just said as she stood there a stoic determined look on her face and her lightsaber at a guard pose.

"Who are you?" She demanded

I smiled at her. "Don't you know its polite to offer your own name first before asking someone else's?"

"What makes you think I'd give you a name after what you just did?"

Well she had me there I actually didn't expect to find out her name. "I didn't expect to find it out, but how about a trade, my name for yours, and if you give me your word as a Jedi I'll even go first."

"Fine you have my word."

"Hello, I'm Narcyz Dahrk it's nice to meet you." I said and included another smile and a welcoming hand gesture free of obligation.

"I am Jedi master Aalya Secura. Now tell me what is it you are doing out here?" Her question was direct and to the point, but it was difficult not to hear the pride in her voice when she said she was a Jedi master.

"I hear the separatists are paying a million credits a head for dead Jedi. Somehow though I get the feeling you are much more fun alive." I causally informed as I shifted my body into a little bit more of a shooters stance and looked her up and down.

The twi'lek's face was stone as she ordered. "Put your weapon down, surrender."

"Perhaps it would be more profitable to offer you to an outer rim planet as a dancer or whore you may be worth more than a million credits to them." I quipped back as I started to walk in a slow counter clockwise circle with Skywalker as the epicenter.

She followed my movements, and mirrored them with her own, not allowing me to get any closer to the downed Jedi knight. However, I did notice her nostrils flare slightly at my mention of her being a dancer or a whore. It was a sensitive spot for a lot of females of all races in general, and twi'leks in particular as they often found themselves in those situations more so than other races of women. Upon seeing that slight reaction I decided to push on it a little harder.

"Or is that your purpose at the Jedi temple? After all they are forbidden relationships and attachments." I said as I put extra emphasis on the word attachments.

Why was she just standing there? a little part of me wondered as I continue to walk the circle.

"Are you the stress relief outlet for the Jedi? Is that why they let you stick around?" I goaded

I then realized why she was just standing there to guard over her fallen comrade she was stalling, waiting for her allies to finish the droid off and return. Once the fight morphed into two Jedi and two clone troopers against just me I would have an impossible time winning the engagement. It was time to progress the confrontation as time was firmly against me. I shifted my grip on my blaster and prepared myself.

"Well my sweet blue beauty I would be happy to take the Jedi's stress relief tool away, but I don't want to kill you, so would you mind stepping aside so I can finish Skywalker, then you and I could find some place quiet to go afterwards." I said winking at her

"I'm not going to let a low life like you have one of the Jedi." She retorted as she shifted her grip on her lightsaber and got into a defensive stance that was indicative of the combat style Ataru.

Fire and determination burned in her eyes it was clear she wasn't going to let me have him. It was admirable so far, she had proven herself to be an impressive person. However, the fire and determination although remarkable and appealing was also inconvenient for me. So, without another word I fired my blaster at her.


	2. Defoliator canon

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars franchise.

The moment was crystalized in my mind. The first shot I sent at Aayla Secura was on an exhale and aimed high at her body slightly toward her shoulder attempting to force her to commit to a single side for defense. There were some insects making sounds in the grass all around us that hummed out a quiet song to our conflict. The sun on this planet was hot and blinding on my face while I had to squint my eyes slightly to see. My Jedi opponent was breathing lightly, and it was a constant effort to not let myself be distracted by her body. She had steady eyes full of confidences and determination. She was obviously confident in herself judging from her body language, and I could tell she was looking me dead in the eye. She had hazel eyes that probably would have been lovely in other circumstances however, now she was not too keen on showing me how lovely they could be which I thought was just a shame. The moment seemed to drag on for a lifetime before it finally reached its conclusion.

As soon as the first shot was fired I sent a second laser toward the twi'lek's feet followed almost immediately by a third and fourth shot spread out along her body. Secura brilliantly deflected all the laser shots sent at her with a whirling blade of defense combined with an acrobatic form. The deflected shots kicked up dust, rocks, and other fine particles of debris. She had excellent skills for deflecting blasters which was a bad thing for me. I fired a steady barrage of blaster shots at the Jedi attempting to overwhelm her. Upon firing the first few shots I knew it probably wouldn't work, but I didn't want to go to my saber just yet.

The twi'lek shifted her feet and began to advance on me all the while keeping her blade moving in order to deflect my blaster shots. When she got within a few feet of me however I shifted my tactics. I was never an accurate shot when I was retreating from an opponent, let alone one that wielded a lightsaber, so it was a tactic I didn't often fall back on but in this instance, and with help from the tall grass I moved between gave me the option to pull my next trick. I altered my course in the grass and stopped at Secura and instead began firing at the ground between us. Particles of dust, dirt, and blades of grass flew between us and I moved quickly on a different course through the grass before she had time to make her way to my last know location and track me down.

My anger flared for a moment and I allowed my connection to the force to explode through my body before I calmed nearly an instant later when I was reminded that I had reaggravated any injury Skywalker had at worst and at best perhaps killed him. Though somehow, I doubted that he would be killed so easily, however my mission was still in jeopardy since there were republic fighters, and Jedi on the planet. The only comfort I took in the situation was that one of the Jedi was down and another was merely a Padawan learner. The situation could always be worse I supposed as I set a course for the command post the general was going to establish.

* * *

Upon arriving a battle droid hassled me for access clearance before I finally just forced my way past the droid, leaving it in spare parts in the process, and was currently stalking toward the area the general set up as an office. I was angry at the general and the situation, had we known that the republic had a presence on the planet we could have taken steps to eliminate them in a more decisive and widescale attack. Instead almost the entirety of our combat units had been deployed into a drop zone that had not been scanned. The utter incompetence of this single act was enough to get my blood boiling.

I stormed into the command center with the anger flowing through me, anger was a powerful emotion and at the moment I was utterly powerful. I didn't waste time on words when I entered, and instead I focused my rage by leveling an open palm on a nearby battle droid and swiftly bent my fingers inward in a claw like motion. Instead of merely folding in on itself the droid crumbled in a great whine of protesting metal and was quickly reduced to little more than a cube. Destroying things was always therapeutic and after the droid was crushed beyond repair I felt a little better, so I composed myself and turned to the general.

"Your incompetence has gone on long enough general I have just encountered republic forces on the planet, and Jedi." My voice was so hard and angry I barely recognized it myself, and it certainly sent Durd in shock for a moment.

"What do you mean there are republic fighters here? This planet was declared a neutral zone." The Neimoidian blubbered out.

I was beyond frustrated with this idiot at this point so the next words I spoke to him I spoke as if he were both hard of hearing and mentally slow, so I ended up screaming and emphasizing every single syllable spoken when I said. "THE-RE ARE RE-PUB-LIC FIG-TERS ON THIS PLAN-ET!"

"Do not take that tone with me!" The general exclaimed as he raised his own voice out of offense.

I was strong and powerful at this point, plus I had always wanted to try this power, so I focused my anger on the general this time and quickly thrust my hands forward in a choking motion. It happened slowly first Lok Durd gasped a little bit, then his hands came up to loosen his collar as he sputtered for breath, finally he was driven to his knees as he gasped for air. My telekinesis skills were improving, and the choke worked, although it was on a person who had little ties to the force however it still worked.

"You will learn to heed my advice general, Count Dooku sent me with you for a reason." I stated before I released my telekinetic hold on him, spun on my heels, and left the room.

* * *

The defoliator tank wasn't nearly as impressive as I thought it would be given that it was the reason we were here and was classified as a top-secret project by the separatists. The only major difference I could see between the tank we were currently deploying and the 'test weapon' tank was a large back-mounted cannon that was apparently the 'secret' part of the weapon. Why it had to be deployed on a tank then was any one's guess, but the tank part certainly wasn't anything new. So, we were here to test the gun and not the tank. It seemed that although most Neimoidian were very accurate and precise the fat general certainly was not. If it was just a gun than there were a multitude of ways it could be tested other than a trip to the outer rim and an extravagant test. We were here now though so may as well see it through to conclusion.

I left the deployment area and made my way to the armory upon seeing that there was nothing to be done that wasn't already being taken care of by the droids. The armory was like everything else that the separatist had, cold, lifeless, and made of metal. The rows upon rows of blaster rifles, grenades and various other implements of death were stacked neatly and there were several droids standing about maintaining a careful guard of the facility. There weren't enough droids however a single Jedi had the capacity to cut through a great many battle droids let alone the three that were on the planet near us.

Casting a glance at the nearest droid I ordered. "Significantly increase the guards on the armory."

"Roger, roger." The droid said and began walking off presumably to fulfil the order.

"Now let's see what we have." I mumbled as I began walking the rows of weaponry looking for a few items to add to my supply.

There were a great many weapons designed to hit hard and be wielded by droids, but the obvious downsides to those types of weapons came when it was time to conceal them, or for them to be fired by an arm that had tendons, muscles, and bones, all of which could be damaged by the recoil of such a powerful blast. Now the force would help me amplify my strength and allow my body to withstand the force of the recoil which would let me use the weapon effectively, but the second problem remained they were big and clunky. As powerful as the Force is I still haven't found a way to reduce or conceal mass with it. During my stroll I came across what I was looking for grenades and other explosive ordnances. I let a small smile cross my face as I began removing an assortment of explosives in preparation for my next encounter with the Jedi.

* * *

My eyes shot open as a great vibration moved through the force around me, and I knew something was happening nearby. I sprang out of my cot and quickly gathered my gear before looking outside the base. It was the dead of night which was the perfect time to attack so I supposed I couldn't fault them for their timing it was the exact time I would have chosen. Which also meant that they more than likely were going to do a lot of things the same way I would. That was an advantage I I realized, so instead of rushing out to confront the invaders I knelt on the ground and closed my eyes while focusing on the Force, and on how I would conduct the attack. I found them quickly; two of them were Jedi while two were not Jedi, and I assumed them to be clone troopers. I figured it out quickly, got up off the floor, and headed for the courtyard where the shuttles were. I stopped a nearby tactical droid and told it to marshal the troops to the shuttle area and continued my way there.

I reached the end of a hall and stood in the doorway that lead to the shuttles and saw an entire battalion of battle droids firing on a single location. The entire base was focused on them they had no way of escaping. It was then I realized that the entire base WAS focused on them and not any other potential threats. The realization hit me just as I heard a lightsaber ignite in the hallways behind me. I didn't even attempt to analyze the situation, and instead I spun and dropped to a knee while pulling a pair of grenades free from under my shawl and tossed them down the hallway. The explosion was quick and powerful, and I was forced onto my back from the shockwave.

I was on my feet the second I was able. Pain was shooting though my spine and the back of my head from where I hit the ground. I was still a little dazed and none too comfortable, but I forced that from my mind as my training kicked in and I advanced down the hallway with my blaster drawn. The result of the blast was a riddled and warped hallway I noted as I traversed back into the station. I made it all the way down the hallway and into the small room it leads to, a storage room, before I found the injured Jedi.

It was the Padawan learner the togruta girl. She had burns and was bleeding from several injuries, however she was still alive and didn't look to be singing her swan song just yet. Her features were delicate, and I assumed that she would have been a cute girl were it not for the burns and blood. She also probably would grow into an attractive woman. It was a shame really that someone that could be so beautiful pledged themselves to a profession that prohibited passion and attachment. There wasn't anything I could do about her choices though, so I leveled my blaster at her head.

* * *

The blaster shot went wide as my gun was violently jerked to one side. I gritted my teeth in annoyance that quickly shifted into anger as I looked up and found Jedi master Aayla Secura standing on the other side of the downed Padawan with her hand outstretched. Exotic and beautiful she may be but with that stunt she had finally reached my last nerve and then proceeded to run it over. I didn't bother with trying to fool her or use misdirection and instead I raised my hand in an open palm gesture and threw all my anger and rage into a telekinetic strike. Secura's eyes became huge as my attack took her full in the chest and threw her across the hall and against the back wall of the adjacent room. I summoned my anger again and reached my hand forward into a claw like motion while trying to use the force to crush the life from Secura, however she raised her hand as a flat palm, and extended her arm toward me; I felt a push against my own powers as the two sides of the Force collided with itself.

"The force is strong with you, but you've let the dark side into your heart, its saddening." She said as we struggled against one another's powers. I did notice a slight drop in her tone of voice though at the end of her sentence.

 _"_ You've become a thorn in my side, I'll crush you!" I snarled as I redoubled my efforts to break her force defenses.

"The dark side will never overcome the light." Secura said her voice soft and steady as calm ocean when our powers reached a breaking point.

Our kinetic abilities split apart on each other and small bits of the blast threw us in opposite directions from each other. I managed to roll with the blast and get back on my feet swiftly, and fire my blaster down the hallway. However, it seemed that the twi'lek Jedi got to her feet far faster than I did as she was already most of the way down the hall with her blue saber drawn. She batted away the blaster bolts I sent at her, closed on me rapidly, and with a single stroke of her saber sliced my blaster in half. I rolled backward to avoid her finishing stroke and suddenly my ignited lightsaber was in my hand, it happened so quickly that I didn't remember drawing it. However, I was thankful that I still had it as I brought it up to block Secura's attack.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I had to repeat my mantra many times before I was able to bring my anger under control. My master had always said that when engaging in Makashi the user had to have a clear mind. I steeled myself and imagined in my mind steel walls and locked doors falling into place around my rage and anger until I was left calm enough to focus on the lightsaber style and with a breath I slipped my blade under my opponents and withdrew a few steps down the hall.

I brought my blade up into a salute and entered the opening stance of Makashi. I saw her eyes widen as I did, so instead of waiting around to figure out why she was surprised I moved forward and pressed an attack on her trying to force her into a more confining space to give me an advantage while she was slightly off her game. She wasn't going to allow me victory so easily though as she fought to force me away and combined acrobatic moves and deft blade work together to stifle my press. Our sabers met again and again as we both assaulted one another's defenses. I parried, countered, and shifted about as I initiated forward and retreating strikes all the while forcing her to constantly shift and adjust her defense against my Makashi styled attack.

* * *

It's strange though as I was pressing the attack and occasionally defending myself from her acrobatic strikes I was reminded of what my master had said to me about dueling a user of Ataru. He had just returned from Geonosis and had dueled his former teacher Yoda the senior most Jedi alive, and by the account of Dooku, a master of Ataru.

We were sitting in a room that was void of all objects other than three mats resting upon the floor we sat on. We had just completed meditation and I was keenly aware of Ventress and Dooku's presence. Ventress and I always tried hard not to be the first one to speak after meditation. It was a silly competition between apprentices however just because it was silly didn't mean I planned to lose. Luckily for us it was Dooku that broke the silence.

"The battle of Geonosis began this war, and while there I faced one of the greatest challenges possible for a practitioner of Makashi, a battle with an aggressive, momentum building style of lightsaber combat called Ataru, and wielded by Yoda a true master of the form." Dooku's rich cultured voice was ideal for a teacher it had a quality that pulled you in and demanded your attention.

"How do we counter it master?" Ventress asked and I silently smirked to myself as she spoke. I had won this round of our silly game.

"I understand every weakness of the Ataru form though, with its ridiculous acrobatics. The best way to go about countering is by thrusting at your opponent's legs. This is because the style depends on jumps ,leaps, and then use a riposte attack to strike their back and burn through them."

I nodded as I understood. Dooku was a master duelist and the finest user of Makashi alive if he said that was the way to defeat Ataru I believed him.

* * *

The next three strikes I aimed were at Secura's right leg. True to my master's prediction she did flip backwards to avoid the three strikes but instead of pressing in to try and burn through her body, a move that could potentially leave me exposed if I misplayed it, I forced her into the back room where the celling was lower and the walls closer. The economy of motion was on my side as my Makashi was superior in a smaller space. I hindered her greatly with my press and forced her into a defensive position which was difficult on an Ataru user due to the aggressive nature of the style.

She seemed to realize her peril though as she risked a bold move and rushed me with a series of powerful strikes. I shifted my feet and blade to allow the strokes to slide down my saber and redirect their kinetic force. Although some of the blows were strong enough to make my wrist hurt as I had not executed the deflection with complete mastery. However, her blows did force me back and she managed to switch sides with me, so she was standing with her back to the open hallway and I was pressed against the wall. She reengaged me quickly just as I expected from an Ataru user. It did give me the opening I was maneuvering the fight toward and upon her initial attack she led with a thrusting strike due to the confined space not allowing for the practical use of overhanded strikes, and I caught it on my saber and ran my own blade along it till I reached the hilt of her blade and tried to remove her arm. Her speed and reflexes prevented a maiming injury and instead I only managed a glancing burn on her forearm however the injury did force her to cry out in pain and take a step back into the hallway.

It was then I saw it from over the Jedi master's shoulder, a column of fire that had been sent rushing down the hallway. Secura sensed it a second after I did, and she turned toward the downed Padawan learner. I quickly surveyed the area noting we were in a room that made an L second between two hallways. I quickly dove out the doorway into the other hall and using the Force struck the button to close the door with the force as I fell and landed on my back. The door slammed shut and I heard a great slam as the door was struck with the force of the blast.

I got to my feet and arched my back to stretch it out as I retracted my lightsaber and returned it to my belt. The back of my head and my lower lumbar hurt from the fall I took when I dove through the door not to mention my sword arm from the few power strikes Secura landed on my blade that I failed to deflect properly. Rubbing the back of my head I opened the door and entered the smaller room.

It was very hot in the small room and everything was slightly burnt smelling. However, there was one section of the room that was less singed than others and within it lay the form of the twi'lek Jedi I had battled. She was burnt and battered but still alive. I ignited my saber and moved to finish the job, but I stopped for a moment and focused on the surroundings. I didn't hear a battle any longer, and more concerning I didn't see the body of the Padawan lying about. A few seconds later droids began entering the station and I made up my mind. I reached down and gently lifted Secura while being careful not to aggravate her injuries any worse, and carried her toward the ship we came in on.

* * *

I laid Secura down in a spare room in the star ship and proceeded to strip her down to gage the extent of her injuries. A lot of people would think that stripping a twi'lek woman down would be very sexy and fun, and in most instances, I would probably agree with them; however, this wasn't one of those times due to all the burns the woman had suffered she was more charred meat and less smooth exotic skin. The burns were bad and would require skin graphs to fix. She would be in an immense amount of pain which would be ideal for what I had planned for her. That was if I could keep her alive, and the clock was ticking, so I began to apply cooling packs to her body and prepared bandages for her where the burns were the worst.

After I had finished my attempt at first aid I started on making the twi'lek secure for our journey in case she woke up. I had plans to sedate her for our trip,

but I would have to leave the room to retrieve the drugs needed to do so and didn't feel the need to take unnecessary risks with the prisoner. As I finished restraining the unconscious Jedi I heard metal clangs and heavy footsteps coming down the hallway. I stood and watched the door as the fat general and four battle droids tried to all enter the confines of the room. Of course, not all of them could fit so three of the battle droids had to wait outside. Durd gave me a level look and I felt a pang of frustration as I knew exactly where this was headed.

"Why is there a Jedi on my ship?" Yep I was dead on Durd was nothing if not predictable.

"She is my prisoner and last I checked Dooku along with the council was footing the bill for this ship, it belongs to the separatist cause. Now if there is nothing else leave me and go set a course for the citadel it was built to hold Jedi. Also, Durd fetch me a medical droid." I said as I turned away from the general and looked down at Secura.

"You've got some nerve ordering me around!" The general spoke outraged at my tone with him.

This time I was more prepared and didn't let my anger consume me and dictate my actions instead I ran a hand down one of Secura's lekku being as gentle as I could. Even burned she was beautiful. Hopefully she would cooperate with the interrogators on the citadel and wouldn't be damaged too badly. It was funny the things I considered more important than responding to someone I didn't respect such as the general.

"General you fired your defoliator weapon at your own base where organic members of the movement were present. It was not an acceptable course of action. On the other hand, it did indirectly lead to the capture of this Jedi so I am willing to let what happened go and NOT report it to Dooku in exchange you will carry out my orders until the prisoner is in the citadel. Now go." I was careful to emphasis every important word as though I was talking to a child because it seemed to be the only way to get through to him.

I could feel his anger as I finished speaking to him and ran another stroke down the prisoner's lekku before I turned back to face him and met his eyes. He stared into mine for a few moments before he seemed to realize that responding and getting deeper into an argument or disagreement with me would not serve him well. Instead he mumbled something to the droid standing at his side and they both left the room leaving me alone.

I sat down and meditated.

* * *

"Taking the prisoner was both a good and bad idea my young apprentice. The information that she could provide would be significant to our cause, and having a Jedi as a hostage for future negotiations will provide leverage. However, Jedi will soon be attempting to rescue her once she has been reported missing."

I listened to Dooku's lecture patiently as he explained the pros and cons of taking Secura prisoner. He was right, and I had not thought of using her as political leverage merely for tactical insight. I expected the Jedi to try to rescue her though.

"That is why I ordered Lok Durd to take us to the citadel, I anticipate a Jedi rescue attempt and the citadel is the most defensible location to hold a Jedi prisoner."

Dooku gave a slight smile as he responded to me almost immediately as if he had known what I was going to say. Considering the mans considerable prowess with the Force that very well could have been the case.

"You show much wisdom my young apprentice, maybe one day you will manage to overtake Ventress as my second."

Well that stung. Here I was thinking I was doing a good job and he still thought I was inferior to Ventress even though I managed to capture a Jedi while Ventress had yet to do so and was often bested by them in combat.

I guess my reaction was displayed on my face because the next thing I knew Dooku was chiding me when he said, "More study and practice put that to good use and remember to always focus on the Force."

"Yes Master" I responded almost immediately with the rhythm of a routine answer.

"Now only I or Ventress will come with supplies and additional prisoners to the citadel. Shoot down any ship that you don't first sense us on and then make video contact with. Be wary the Republic could try anything to get her back. There is already an interrogator on site meet with Osi Sobeck the warden and head interrogator there." Dooku's aristocratic tone instructed me and I bowed my head.

"Yes, Master it will be done. When should I expect the supply ship?"

"It will most likely be some time from now, we will contact you with future details."

"Master there was one other thing. Lok Durd, he decided to fire his defoliator gun at our own base with several organic members of the separatists' army inside, myself included. He has behaved callously and irresponsibly toward the entire testing mission and has placed advancement over our cause what should I do with him?" My voice came out steady and professional and from the way Dooku looked at me it almost seemed as if he had not sensed my desire to destroy the thing that nearly killed me. It had never been a secret that I didn't like Durd however when he fired the gun and almost killed me with it he had crossed a line, a line that no matter what it took I would punish him for crossing.

"This is indeed disturbing, handle it as you see fit and send me an entire report on the defoliator gun it may be time to start outfitting them on our tanks. Contact me again when you reach the citadel." Dooku replied and waited expectantly for my replied for validation."

"Yes, master it will be done." Once I finished that sentence the Count closed the hollo communicator.

* * *

I found Durd in the mess hall eating and could feel palpable waves of stress rolling off him before I even looked at him with the Force. If the man had not fired on me with the Defoliator gun I might have felt sorry for him. I didn't feel sorry for him though.

"Durd you have failed us for the last time." I said as I stepped into the mess and reached a partially closed hand outward.

Immediately the man clutched at his throat and a look of shock crossed his face as he blubbered out the last words he would ever speak. "Please forgive me, give me another chance."

I cocked my head to one side slightly. The begging was unexpected but not unwelcome. It would make zero difference though.

"Forgiveness is not the way of the dark side." I said as I crushed his throat and felt the dark side roaring through me as my anger welled up and I embraced the power used to kill the general.

Leverage, position, advantage.

AN: Please read, enjoy, and review.


	3. The Citadel

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars franchise.

A/N: Big thank you to creaponrun for reviewing my story and giving me motivation to write this chapter.

My vision was blurred by a quick opening of my eyes after an extended period of keeping them closed. The end table, the light on the end table, a chair and desk, and a few other odds and ends floated about the room. My vision cleared and I started to set each object down in the proper place. Upon placing the final piece down, which was my blaster pistol, and straightened my cloths as I stood up. I looked around the room and adjusted the placement of the chair slightly so it sat more symmetrically under the desk and altered the light on the end table to line up with its corner before I turned my attention to the one object I had not levitated, the bed, and its occupant.

Secura had healed a great deal from her burns during the time it was taking us to travel to the citadel. I had been applying bacta to her wounds religiously ever since we had left, and she was improving. With any luck she would be ready for interrogation soon and was likely out of any serious long-term harm due to her injuries. It was a trying task as I had no real skill as a healer. I've heard of Jedi who were able to use the force at such a high level that they could heal injuries; however, I've never had such a talent. The Conergin I had given her had kept her in a deep sleep although the ships supply was running low by my latest calculations there was enough remaining to get us there while she stayed asleep.

I left the bedside to retrieve a few of the medical droids that had been watching her, so they could continue treatment and keep her sedated while I left to attend to other matters.

* * *

The drop from hyperspace didn't bother me this time as I was braced and sitting down for it on a chair on the command bridge. Lola Sayu loomed into view through the bridge's forward window. The planet was a shattered and broken thing. The bottom half of the planet was severed and covered with sulfur while the top half gleamed multiple shades of purple. This planet was conquered early in the war and had been under our control virtually uncontested ever since. The planet offered little in tactical value due to its location and its only meaningful resource was the Citadel that had been constructed on it to imprison Jedi and since the Galactic Republic wasn't fighting Jedi and had no reason to imprison them. It was a good move by General Grievous. As the ship approached the planet we passed the Trade Federation armada that was set to guard the planet and almost immediately got pinged for identification.

"Commander, the battleship is requesting identification." The dulled voice of a droid informed me as if I wasn't aware of the situation already.

"Open a com channel and confirm identity as Narcyz Dahrk apprentice to Count Dooku." I said to the droid offhandedly as I wasn't completely focused on the situation. My thoughts were dwelling on the injured Jedi sitting in the makeshift med-bay. I was worried about the difficulty of interrogating and holding a Jedi prisoner. If she was half as strong with the Force as I figured she was I knew it would be a difficult endeavor.

The holo-com opened showing a male Phindian with a face set in a sneer. His name was Osi something I didn't really remember exactly what his name was I just knew that he was the warden of the Citadel.

"Warden Narcyz Dahrk here with an incoming Jedi prisoner." I didn't remember his name completely, so I just used his title.

"Yes, we've been expecting your arrival, Ill inform the blockade to let you through, a cell has already been prepared for the prisoner. We will begin interrogation as soon as possible." His voice was what you'd expect from a reptile race, gruff and raspy that had a way of slithering in your ears when he talked.

"Very well we will be landing shortly have an armed guard ready to escort the prisoner into holding." I ordered.

The Phindian sneered a little more when he spoke this time "I'll have everything ready."

I wasn't sure why he responded so hostilely to a standard order, so I tried to focus on the Force and finding him in it. I opened my perceptions wide as I tried to detect him on the planet. I was flooded with an influx of emotions occurring all around me like thousands of voices all talking at once. I have heard stories about Force users so dedicated and powerful in their craft that they could feel the presence of others from far greater distances than I was attempting to. It made one thing clear though as a shroud of voices and emotions fell upon me; I still had a lot to learn about the Force.

"Very well, Darhk out." I said as I closed my perceptions and powered down the holo-com.

I turned my chair slightly and looked out the window upon the blockade of Federation star cruisers and allowed my thoughts to drift. This Jedi was going to be difficult and the Warden still left a lot of question marks. On top of that I was going to be stuck on Citadel station for who knew how long until Dooku, or Ventress came to relive my guard. I found the prospect of Dooku coming to be very low since he was on his flag ship most of the time. Ventress was more likely to come take over the guard on the Jedi, however she often ran assassination missions for Dooku while I was only beginning my stint as an agent of the Confederacy thus I was likely to be here a long time. I shifted in the chair and turned my attention to the droid that was announcing we were approaching the landing site for the prison. It was going to be a long stay and I felt my anger burn like a hot coal in my stomach as I tried to get in under control.

Leverage, position, advantage.

* * *

I heard her feminine voice cried out in pain as I was walking past the interrogation chamber the warden, who I now knew was named Osi Sobeck, was holding her in for interrogation. He had been at it for nearly a week and it was starting to show. At first, she had said nothing and made no sound, but he was gradually wearing her down. Her screams were getting louder and louder with shorter pauses between her cries of pain. I had avoided the interrogation room that she was being held in since I arrived on the planet. I could feel the way the Force moved about her when she felt the pain of the interrogation she was undergoing even when attempting to close myself off to the Force. She was strong enough that even through the shield I constructed some of her anguish leaked through; it was uncomfortable.

This time however I stopped at the door as a particularly harsh shriek erupted from the room. My hand lingered by the door controls for a second before I punched in my code and the doors slide open.

"That's enough warden I will take over from here." I announced as I walked into the room and took in the sight of Osi gleefully ordering two droids to assault the twi'lek Jedi's body and lekku with electricity. It looked to be very unpleasant and I did not envy the Jedi.

I felt Osi's presence shift from gleeful to angry at my entrance, so I wasn't surprised by what he said next. "I'm still interrogating this prisoner."

"And now I'm telling you to take a break. You aren't making any progress so now I am in charge." I tried reasoning with him.

"The Jedi is about to break now isn't the time to hand this off to Dooku's pet project. It's time to keep pushing, shock her again." He shouted as he turned his attention back to the prisoner.

My anger flared through me at his insubordination and this time I didn't bother hiding or controlling my anger I focused my anger and frustration on the warden while my fingers curled into a claw while inching its way toward a closed fist. The two droids folded on each other while dropping the cording they were using to apply the electricity. My hand inched closer and closer and when it finally closed the two droids were compacted like a pair of twin cans. I turned my attention back on Osi Sobeck who's emotions had shifted again this time from angry to frightened. I figured I made my point, but I still whirled on the warden, who stood a good nine or so inches above me and leveled a glare at him.

"Don't forget warden you may have been given command of this prison, but you still answer to me. Now leave now and I this incident won't be reported to Count Dooku."

He glared at me for a long moment and I thought for a moment that I would have to draw my saber to convince him to leave, but after a long moment he sneered at me and left without a word. I felt satisfied with that result and once I felt his presence move away I turned to regard Secura. Her eyes were full of worry but also some curiosity. I didn't even have to attempt to use the Force to read her to note that she was wondering what torment we were about to put her through now. I walked slowly around her inspecting her body as she hovered suspended in the restraining field. My initial assessment of her body was still accurate however the damage she had received due to Sobeck's interrogation had damaged it more.

"You have a great butt, I appreciate that in females of all species." I commented as I passed behind her and stopped briefly to admire the view before continuing around the restraining field.

"Nice hips too." I commented off handedly as I made my way back around and faced her once more.

Once I stood in front of her again I reached out and touched the Force and used it to slide the metal scraps that used to be the droids off to the side. They moved with the screeching grinding sound that metal makes when moving along another metal surface. Once they were out of the way I took a couple steps forward until my nose almost touched hers and reached up a hand to gently run along one of her lekku. She flinched away when I raised my hand, so I hesitated a second while showing an open palm to the injured Jedi before gently stroking my hand down her head tentacle until I reached near her chin and moved my hand from the lekku to her chin and raised her head slightly forcing her to look me in the eye. She had deep and full hazel eyes. They were good eyes.

I searched for her in the Force and upon finding her tried to Force my way into her mind. It was like hitting a brick wall when I encountered them. She was strong still and focusing all her attention on keeping me out. I redoubled my efforts allowing the frustration I felt upon being repelled out of her mind sharpen the edges of my anger. This time I managed to get a single emotion she was feeling, fear, out of her before I was pushed out. I sighed and stepped back from her and closed my eyes while breathing deeply.

Leverage, position, advantage.

Once my anger was under control I faced her once again. She was regarding me with a curious expression on her face, but I didn't need the Force to tell she was satisfied that I was unable to penetrate her defenses. So brute force didn't work this time, perhaps with more time and pain her resolve would weaken but that would be long and time consuming. I didn't want to

"The light is strong in you, your resolve as a Jedi is admirable." I said as I turned back to face her.

She looked me dead in the eye this time as her voice came out in a broken rasp. "The dark side of the Force is in you but it hasn't immersed you yet there is still time for you."

She was foolish, the dark side had swallowed me long ago I embraced its power fully. If she couldn't see that than the Jedi were truly as blind as Dooku claimed. "What did it feel like?"

She scrunched her nose at the question it was, dare I say, cute. "What did what feel like?"

"When I pressed against your mind with the dark side to try to invade your thoughts what did it feel like?" I stated and beat down the tinge of frustration I felt at having to repeat and clarify the question.

"Like all the shadows in the room flew off the walls and rushed me all at once. It was a rush to my head and left me with a tinge of a headache. Why do you ask?" Her voice sounded a little better but still had scratchy undertones.

I turned and left the room closing the door behind me and made my way to the mess hall to retrieve a container of water and a spout with which to slurp the water from, and made my way back to the interrogation room. I passed a few droids along the way, but I didn't pass another living being either going to, or returning from the mess. Once I returned to Secura I opened the door and walked right up to her. She had her head bowed and eyes closes when I entered but upon realizing I was there she reopened them and looked up at me once again, completely unafraid to look me in the eye.

I walked right up to her and tilted her head back while placing the water container against her lips. "Drink, your voice sounds awful and Id like for us to continue talking without causing you undue pain."

She stared at the container of water for a second before she began to drink. Once she started I continued talking. "It felt as if I was pushing against a dirt wall, there was give in it but ultimately it stood solid. It was unlike any other time I tried to push my way into someone's thoughts."

She finished her drinking and I reached my arm forward and used the back of my sleeve to wipe her mouth dry. Once I moved my arm she responded. "Where am I?"

"Not so fast I get to ask a question first then I'll answer yours." It came out in a teasing tone of voice with a smirk that I couldn't quite keep from my face.

She looked at me expectantly and I asked. "Where are you from?"

Her nose scrunched back up in confusion for a second almost as if she couldn't believe what I asked. "I was born on Ryloth, like most twi'lek."

"You're in an interrogation cell." I responded with a smile.

"I know that –" She started to say but I cut her off.

"It was what you asked." I smiled more.

"I meant what planet am I on?" She deadpanned clearly not amused.

"That's a different question so I get to ask another. Now –-" I said and this time she interrupted me

"Do you think I am just here for your amusement?" She was glaring this time clearly frustrated.

I took a menacing step toward her the expression falling from my face and I quickly wrapped a hand around her throat while forcing her head back. I held her like that for a long moment before I let a smile cross my face and I released her throat. "Now darling I believe that is two questions."

* * *

I moved about swiftly practicing my footwork in a rapid series of movements. Makashi was all about precision and the best way to become precise was to practice. A lot of people like to repeat the dogma of 'practice makes perfect' but anyone who takes half a moment to think about it knows that there is no such thing as perfect. Instead I liked to think that 'practice makes permanence'. Dooku was as close as there would probably ever be to a practitioner of Makashi and he wasn't perfect either. However, if I practiced the footwork would be a permanent memory for my muscles and mind.

My thoughts drifted as I went through the well-practiced footwork and had Dooku seen it I would have been scolded however I was alone and the only thing on my mind was my conversation with Jedi master Aayla Secura. It had been one of the best chats I'd ever had in my life after we got past the stubbornness and actually started talking. We discussed each other's lives, where we were born, where we trained, and who we were. If she had not been bound in an energy field it would've probably been a pleasant conversation. It was the first one that I had partaken in that wasn't about the war or my training in a very long time. She was actually quite mischievous and playful after she realized I wasn't going to torture or harm her during our chat. Although I did try to scare her a couple of times, but it had only worked the initial time. I had been conditioned my entire life to think of Jedi no necessarily as the enemy, that had only started a year or two ago, but instead as a deeply flawed group or religious fanatics that were blind to their own short comings. We had not discussed anything regarding the politics of the confederacy nor the contrary opinions of the light and dark side of the Force. Also, I had not even asked her about tactical evaluations, command structures or positions of enemy troops and campaign goals. The entire time I spent asking her a mixture of personal and professional questions about herself while trying to asses how the Force moved about her when she discusses certain things. The thought behind it was the more I could learn about how she uses and connects to the Force the easier it would be to force my way into her mind.

I concluded my Makashi training and began making my way toward my room to change clothing when I felt a current go through the Force. It was akin to standing in the surf and being lifted upward by a passing wave before being placed back down on the sand bank below your feet. It was gentler than anything I had felt from a dark side user and I immediately figured it to be Secura. I rushed to her cell.

I arrived quickly and punched my code in to open the reinforced blast door to her cell just in time to see Osi Sobeck approaching her and I felt the dark swirl of emotions and glee in him as he neared her intent on causing her harm. He was the warden of the station and it was his job to interrogate prisoners, but I had specifically told him NOT to bother with her and that I would handle it. The well of dark emotions that stirred up in me was immense and without thinking I unleashed my Force powers on him. He fell to his knees quickly gasping for air as I held my hand in an inwardly bent claw shape whilst choking the warden. I was angry, this was the second person to undermine my authority and do things I specifically asked them not to do. I kept squeezing until the Phinadian stopped wheezing, and knelt to face him. His eyes were bludgeoning and were becoming bloodshot. I could taste the anger he was projecting my way through the Force and used it to fuel my own rage.

"Perhaps you misheard me Osi, I said I would handle her interrogation. If you come in this room to talk to her again I'll kill you." My voice came out a lot tamer than I thought it would. Sobeck nodded at me and I released my hold on him as he quickly scuttled out of the room.

Leverage, position, advantage.

My anger was making demands of me to finish off the warden for daring to undermine my authority. The dark side didn't tolerate such actions and to be truly strong in it I had to follow its teachings and embody its principles. I stood from the ground and turned toward the door intent on going to find and finish off the warden. My mantra had not calmed me down and I was intent on killing him.

"Don't."

"What?" I demanded and this time it came out as an angry snarl.

"Don't go and kill him." She said in a voice that came out as a plea.

That caught my attention I would have thought that someone would have wanted the person that tortured them to die. "Why not?"  
"Because you don't need to kill him you beat him. He won't do anything else to you." Her words were strange.

"He tortured you; I thought you would want him dead." The statement made perfect sense to me. After all, Osi Sobeck had only disobeyed me and I was ready to kill him.

"I don't want anyone to die. Only for peace and understanding to reign through the galaxy." She looked down and away was she ashamed?

My anger dwindled as curiosity replaced it "Why do you say it like that?"

"The way of the Force isn't to kill just because you are angry it's about doing what's right. About protecting and caring for all of us in the galaxy." Her statement was strong and inspiring. I could understand why the Jedi kept going even with a flawed ideology.

"Your way isn't the only way of the Force. The dark side possess a great strength and foresight that you Jedi lack. You didn't know that Dooku had turned to the dark side, you didn't foresee the clone wars, and you didn't even realize that the dark side has been plucking the strings behind the Republic all along." I told her as I circled her and came to stand on her left flank. It was always uncomfortable to talk to a person just out of sight and I was hoping it would throw her off.

"Obi Wan told us about Dooku spouting off that the Sith controlled the Republic. It isn't true, just as it wasn't true when Dooku told it to Kenobi. You have been deceived and seduced by the dark side. But I can lead you to the light." Her words sounded so foolish in my ears and I actually let out a laugh.

"My darling, I am not lost, not in the slightest I found my path and the dark side of the Force is the right path. The strength, the power, and the control granted to me by my chosen path far eclipses what your Jedi order has ever been able to do. My master used to be a Jedi and now he is leader of an entire movement and soon the Confederacy and the dark side will reign supreme in the galaxy. Join us, join me." I moved closer to her as I talked coming so close that I was almost touching her, and my voice gradually lowered until I whispered the final part into her ear.

"No, I will not join your cause, but I would teach you the ways of the light if you let me." She offered in a small voice, but it radiated such confidence and compassion.

She felt compassion for me even after all I had done to her. It was intriguing, but I had been trained by Dooku and thus knew the ways of the dark side. I knew all about their pathetic devotion to tenants that the Force itself had never established. She followed the Jedi, an entire organization composed of people, and people no matter how powerful or devout to the force, were full of folly. The Force had to be their beacon and not an order based on restrictions, and tenants of flawed people.

I came to stand in front of her this time before I spoke. "You're in our custody and you offer to train me? That makes no sense as I was the victor you lost you are the one that needs training not me."

"If you never learn of the light side your knowledge of the Force will forever be incomplete. The two are dichotomous but are eternally bound together."

I looked off to the side of the room contemplating her response. "Dooku was my teacher. He was once a Jedi I learned of the light side of the Force just as I was taught the dark. I follow the dark because it has been the proven path. You make the mistake of all Jedi and assume the light and dark are interchangeable with good and evil. Your Jedi order has committed evils just as the Sith have done good."

I stepped closer to her once again. "Let me show you the darkness."

She looked uncertain and finally she closed her eyes for a moment but when she reopened them I could see the resolve in her. "Your eyes aren't yellow."

Huh? Now that caught me off guard. "No, they're blue how does that matter?"

"Typically, the dark side has a corrupting effect on the body. The more immersed in it someone becomes the more their body becomes deformed. Yours hasn't deformed yet, and your eyes are beautiful." She said as she held my gaze and I couldn't help but become a little uncomfortable.

"What is that supposed to mean?" I asked.

In response she broke out into a smile. "Now darling I believe that is two questions."

* * *

"We focus inward looking in ourselves and strengthen and nurture the emotions we use to fuel our Force powers." I was currently explaining to Aayla how the dark side users meditated. She had earlier explained how the Jedi looked outward into the world to find peace and let go of their emotions.

"Is that why you have such a short trigger before you become violently angry?" She inquired

"Yes, I work myself up into a rage and try to maintain it."

"That can't be good for your long-term health." She responded with a wink.

I let a smile cross my features, she was charming it was hard to resist. "Its been rumored that some dark side users found the secret to live forever, but I guess your master Yoda could make the same claim."

"I suppose he could. Your master is far older than most humans ever become as well. The Force can sustain a person's body and allow them to live far longer than normal."

"Is it something you want to do?" It was an interest question, how long someone wanted to live and what they would do to pursue it.

"I . . . don't know, its interesting to think about what it would be like to live a long time, but then the real question is . . . . what do you have to live a long time for?" It sounded like a confession really, her voice trailed off toward the end.

I took a step closer and touched her shoulder lightly. "What do you want to live for?"

She seemed to contemplate that for a moment. "The Jedi order."

That stung for some reason. We had been talking and discussing the differences between the dark and light side and our different ideology for a standard month now. Even though there was no rational reason for it I thought that she and I had bonded over that time. I certainly felt closer to her. She had told me about her growing up on Ryloth and her journey through the Jedi order. She had also inadvertently given up a few things about the Republic command structure and the way the Jedi order was handling their side of the war. It was subtle but with what she gave me I had managed to figure a few things out and report them to Dooku. That was all business, but I had grown to enjoy the talks she and I had each day. She was opening up to me a little more and allowing a playful side I had not thought she had to come forth. We teased each other and the hard and determined warrior I had met back on that backwater planet was more than just a Jedi drone. She was strong, and beautiful, and I suppose she was also a little wise in the limited way the Jedi could be.

I realized it then that I was developing a crush on her after all this time spent with her. It was foolish of me I knew but for some reason I couldn't help it. I took in her form and gave her a slight smile. "You know we are on the Citadel there is no escape here right?"

"That's what they claim." She said and I sighed.

"If I let you out promise not to make me regret it?" I asked her as I moved over to the controls.

"Are you going to release me?"

"No you'll remain here, but I know it cant be comfortable in that energy field and I wanted to try something."

She looked curious. "What do you want to try?"

"I wanted to try meditating together, maybe we could both learn something." I said and pulled the release controls.

She started to fall so I rushed to support her while being careful to keep her hands restrained. She had difficulty for a moment getting her body under control since she had been stuck in a containment field for a long time. I took the opportunity to secure her hands in cuffs and kept them bound in front of her as she shifted and put more of her weight on me. It felt nice having her lean on me. I helped her settle to the floor and sit in a meditative position before I too sat down and looked at her.

She took a deep breath. "Okay you want to learn to meditate properly, take a deep breath. Close your eyes and focus."

I regarded her skeptically and she rolled her eyes. "Don't worry I won't try to escape on you."

It was assuring when she said that so far, she had kept her word, so I decided to give her the benefit of the doubt and I closed my eyes. I felt her shift a little closer and she touched my hands first one than the other and adjusted them into a different position. When she was moving my right hand, I shifted my hand and took one of hers in my grip closing my fingers around hers and I opened my eyes. She was mere inches from my face and I started to move forward. My lips touched hers gently and I felt her tense, and then relax as I placed a soft kiss on her.

As I was moving to deepen our kiss I felt a frizzle hit me through the Force and my eyes widened as I pulled away from Aayla. I knew that feeling all too well, Asajj Ventress was nearing me.

Leverage, position, advantage.


	4. Dark Embrace

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars franchise.

* * *

I pulled away from Secura as soon as I felt Ventress's presence in the Force. I was in a panic as I didn't know exactly what to do in this instance. I had technically released a prisoner and was getting cozy with her. It was awkward. I decided that perhaps I should instill a small amount of trust into the Jedi.

"I'm sorry, but I need you to say here and not make any trouble." I turned to leave the room but then shot a look back over my shoulder and added. "I'm trusting you Aayla."

Ventress was nearing the planet. It stood to reason that I was about to be relieved of duty, and although it was something I had wanted a month ago it wasn't something I was looking forward to especially now that Aayla and I had grown closer. I didn't know what Ventress would do, or allow Sobeck to do to her.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Had I grown so close to her in the month of her captivity here that I was willing to protect her from my fellow student? That was concerning; if she spoke of my connection to her I could be branded a traitor. As close as I may have grown to Secura she was still a Jedi. My past, and future was with Count Dooku. I was hoping that perhaps Ventress wouldn't be involved too much in that future, but I had grown attached to her too in a way. After all I had grown up an orphan she was a surrogate sister to me in some way; just as Count Dooku was a father figure to me. What was Secura though? An exotic curiosity perhaps. I grew around Ventress who was the bad girl perhaps I was attracted to the light in the twi'lek Jedi? Sometimes I start to confuse even myself.

I made it to the command center deep within the heart of the Citadel. Sobeck was already there and in an argument with Ventress. It would seem she had a similar assessment of the man.

"Listen to me 'girl' I am in charge here this is my station you will report to me." Sobeck emphasized the word 'girl' as he snarled at the Dathomirian woman."

"I don't care who you are, I am not giving a report to you now please fetch Dahrk." Her tone was casual as she idly checked her nails giving the impression she wasn't even slightly interested.

"You and he deserve each other you are both annoy me to death!" His words were poisonous, and I felt his anger grow greatly through the Force.

I found it amusing to witness Osi Sobeck slip further into anger, but it was time to end this and see why Asajj was here, so I stepped forward. "I'm here, now what brings the bald beauty out to a big mean planet like this."

"Maybe I'm looking for a small weak Force user." She said as she smiled at me.

"You may want to look at Coruscant than lots of weak Force wielders there." I replied with a wink.

"What brings you out here." I asked immediately, and I felt Sobeck's anger cool a little he was probably eager to know also.

"That is something we will discuss in private." She said as she dropped her smile and assumed a business-like tone.

"Very well clear her for docking." I said to Sobeck then upon looking back at Ventress. "See you soon."

* * *

After the communication was over I practically sprinted back to the security cell the Jedi was being held in. I felt a sense of urgency to return that was nearly indescribable. It was the Force that was pulling me toward her, this time I was certain of it. I moved around the droids easily as I was certain as to what step to take. Nothing got in my way and I made record time to the holding cell. I punched in my code and entered the room. Upon entering the room my sprint across Citadel station left me winded, and I had to take a moment to catch my breath. I looked across the room and saw Secura still sitting in the middle of the room in a meditative position, however her eyes were open and looking at me. That surprised me as I half expected her to be hiding next to the door and ready to attack me the second I entered.

"Is that Dooku coming?" Secura asked, obviously she had felt the shift in the Force too.

I shook my head as I sucked in a large breath to respond. "Its another of his apprentices. I don't know what is going to happen."

"I see." She said as she shifted her sight past me to stare at, or perhaps more aptly, beyond the wall obviously deep in thought.

"Why didn't you attack me when I came through the door it would have been your strongest position since arriving here?"

Her gaze shifted to me with a half confused. "Because you trusted me not to."

She said it as though it was the most obvious thing in the universe. Simply because I had trusted her to not start trouble she had not. That thought threw me for a second. She had in a single moment proven that I could trust her far more than any of the allies I had. More than Dooku or Ventress, and vastly more than the half droid General Grievous. Strange to have so noble an enemy and so deceptive an ally. Of course, the trustworthiness and honor of this Jedi who was but a mere foot solider to her orders larger scheming and plot was taught to be obedient and submissive to the order while the order itself plotted and schemed on scales only rivaled by the politicians they served. That was the Jedi, noble at the bottom and corrupt schemers at the top.

I was pacing back and forth as the anxiety that Asajj Ventress had brought with her arrival finally began washing over me. "I . . . . Thank you for not making trouble. Although it appears that trouble has found the both of us this time."

Secura's gaze shifted from me to a random spot on the wall as she appeared to be in thought I figured Ventress's arrival was probably weighing on her mind as well.

"My fellow apprentice will not be nearly as friendly as I have been. I don't know what to expect." I continued and felt her gaze shift from the wall to me.

"We need to talk about that, your friendliness with me." The way she said it sent a cool chill down my spine, I didn't want this conversation.

"How about this, you give me a pertinent detail about the Republic's battle strategy and we can discuss whatever you would like." I proposed to her and she seemed to mull it over.

"Were opting to guard important planets and maintain vital resources so we can keep arms flowing while arming insurgents on separatist controlled planets. Now I have appreciated the hospitality you've shown me, however that kiss . . ."

Shit! Here it came. A lead weight settled in my stomach.

"It isn't something we can do again. I'm a Jedi and the code forbids attachments no matter if I want it or not."

She may as well have just punched me in the stomach. It would have been far more pleasant. That simple rejection hurt more than I thought it would even though I knew it was likely to happen. Fine if she was going to behave that way I wouldn't lift a finger to help her in the future.

"If that is what you want very well." I walked to the door and punched in my code to open the door to leave, however before I walked through the door I added. "By the way you may want to keep what has transpired between the two of us to yourself the person who just arrived would not take kindly to it."

I left her in the cell.

* * *

I didn't encounter any droid, or any living being in the halls as I moved toward the landing zone to meet Ventress. It was probably a good thing that I didn't encounter anything as I stalked through the Citadel since I was in the mood to rip someone or somethings face off. Aayla's rejection stung. More than what I could put into words. I was under the impression that the two of us were bonding up until she pushed me away.

I made it to the landing pad as Ventress was finishing a chat with Sobeck. Asajj wasn't the most attractive person what with the shaved head, and her whip thin body didn't have many appealing and tantalizing curves like Secura's did but she did possess a certain attractiveness that came from her strength and confidence. The storm of emotions fueling my Force powers were rolling off me in palpitating waves.

Leverage, position, advantage.

"Oh darling Ventress you are a sight for sore eyes. Being stuck on this planet with just the hideous warden for company. So what mission did you fail to get yourself stuck relieving me of guard duty?" I inquired with a smile as I fought to keep my hurt and anger under control.

Her yellow eyes pierced into my mine and I could see the amusement in them. "Aww sweetheart I insisted on coming to relieve you of duty I've become exhausted with all the high priority missions Master has assigned me and thought perhaps you could step in for me now that all the important tasks have been completed."

Her lips twisted up into a snarky smile and I turned to indicate we should walk. "So why have you come?"

She came to stand next to me and we began walking. "Let's talk away from prying ears."

I nodded and led her to my room. We walked in near silence as I felt her desire to move swiftly. When we arrived in the room she wasted no time in shutting the door and searching the room for listening devices. I walked to the small end table and withdrew a tiny chip and held it up for Ventress to see.

"I found them all when I first arrived they won't pose a problem. Now tell me darling why are you here?" I informed her while I took a seat on the edge of the bed in the room.

"Very well." She turned and walked to the table and back to the door she was nervous.

"Care to join me?" I patted the bed next to me and shot her a smile and a wink.

She scrunched up her face for a second before smiling. She began a slow sensual walk toward me moving in a way to exaggerate her modest hips. She stopped in front of me and leaned down until there was less than an inch of space between our lips.

"Darling boy, you couldn't handle me."

I shifted until our lips were almost join and when I spoke they my top lip brushed along her bottom one. "Try me." I whispered.

She pulled away. "Maybe later, but right now we have important business to discuss."

She withdrew a small hollo-transmitter and clicked it on. A small world covered in water appeared.

"Kamino. The world creating the clones."

"I'm aware, what of it?" I asked with an offhand gesture.

"We are going to invade it and obtain the DNA sample they are using to make clones of Jango Fett."

"So, we are after the source material for clones. That would be a devastating blow, but we have attempted it before what makes you think we will be successful this time?"

She seemed to consider that for a moment. "We are putting far more resources into this attempt and we have spent a lot of time plotting this one. It will be a multi-faceted attack. We will obtain the cloning material."

She was confident. "It will be heavily guarded."

She looked at me as if I was a small child. "Of course, it will be that is why Grievous will be taking the field with us. The two of us will lead separate aquatic strike forces while the General will engage the enemy in the sky's above. Some of our cruisers will be intentionally sacrificed so that we can smuggle droids onto the planet surface and attack key infrastructure. The two of us are tasked with finding and retrieving the genetic sample."

"I see, when do we leave?" I asked the Dathomirian woman.

"Tomorrow, we will meet up with Grievous for more specific details and then proceed to our attack." She moved to the chair in the room and took a seat in it.

I was a little disappointed that she didn't join me on the bed. After the rejection from Secura I was in the mood for female companionship and gratification. I got off the bed and moved to Ventress. She looked up at me with amusement clear on her face. I debated strongly what to do for a long moment before finally making up my mind. I reached my hand down and seized her by the throat. Her eyes went wide, and she reached forward to stop me. I pulled her up to her feet in one swift motion and pressed my lips against hers in a harsh kiss. She pressed her hands against my chest and pushed me away. I stumbled a step back while she raised her hands and used the Force to fling me against the wall on the far side. My back hit the wall as my feet got set under me. I felt frustration rise in me at Ventress's repulsion until she was suddenly in front of me; her hands came up and wrapped around my wrists. She struggled with me briefly before she slammed her lips against mine. Her embrace was rough and harsh. Our mouths opened, and her teeth ran along my lower lip biting and nipping me.

She pulled away and put one hand along my cheek while the other fell on the lower part of my stomach. "Don't try to dominate me child."

I shifted my weight and put my hands on her hips turning to pin her against the wall. "I will do far more than try little girl."

My lips crashed back onto hers, my body went ridged as she slipped her hands around my chest and over my back to dig her nails into my lower back pulling my shirt partially off in the process. My hand slid around her hip to her butt seeking the clasp that held her battle skirt on; When it was found one swift tug of my hand made it fall to the ground. The lust and raw passion that filled my being was threatening to drown me in a well of passion and dark lust for a woman I knew was steeped in darkness. Never in my life had I wanted anything more than I wanted the Dathomirian assassin. I felt her desire rolling around her in the Force as well. Surging and breaking upon one another with each harsh kiss we shared.

She twisted the fabric of my shirt, tearing it open, and tossing the tattered remains aside. A flare of pain went through my shoulder as she applied her teeth to it in a rough bite. Her fingers ran along my chest as I shifted my focus from her waist to her butt squeezing it as I pressed her against the wall. She left the ground twisting her legs around mine and forcing me to fall to the ground. I landed on my back against the cool metal of the floor while I ran my fingers up her butt and tucked them into the waistband of her undergarments, removing them was easy as she offered no resistance to my actions and instead focused on kissing and biting my chest while her hands scratched and grasped at my lower stomach. I brought a hand up to wrap around her neck and squeezed slightly whilst rotating our entire bodies pinning her underneath me. I wasn't done as I shifted her focus from my chest to my face. I roughly crashed my lips on hers and forced my tongue into her mouth to battle hers for dominance. As we struggled together in a dark kiss my hands moved from her neck to her modest breasts squeezing them slightly but not stopping, and instead continuing until I reached the hem of her shirt. Once there my hands moved of their own volition lifting her shirt up until it was sitting just below her neck since I was unwilling to break the kiss to remove it fully just yet.

Her hands shifted down the front of my body and began fiddling with my belt. Just the incidental contact drove me on as dark passion filled the woman pinned beneath me. Her arms fluttered around my back and the next thing I knew she was pulling my belt through its loops. I pressed her hard into the floor beneath us and finally pulled my mouth away from hers to pull her shirt over her head.

"You're mine!" I hissed as I threw her shirt across the room and finally got a full look at her body. It was wired with strong lean muscles while her modest breasts, their nipples erect, were well placed and her hips while not generous made a nice contrast to her slim waste.

Suddenly I was on my back as Asajj flipped me. Her form slithered along my body, taking my pants with her, as she continued to undress me. Her hand wrapped around my length as it came free and she crushed my lips in another brutal, but quick, kiss.

"No, you're mine." She said as she suddenly vanished from my sight and I felt a pair of warm lips embrace my lower body.

I moved my hands and my fingers found purchase along the back of her head as she sucked harder on me causing me to let out a small moan I couldn't stifle. It felt a little strange running my fingers along her shaved head but the ministrations she was currently conducting took my mind far away from that thought. I enjoyed the sensation for a breath longer before I grabbed her by the back of the neck and pulled her away from my lower body. Sitting up I forced her to look me in the eye before I flipped her back over and roughly entered her body.

"Ugmmhmhmmhmmh" She moaned out as I started to thrust in and out of her.

Her nails dug into my biceps hard enough to register discomfort in my arms even as I was using her body, and she used her grip on my arms to rotate me again this time placing me under her as she sat astride me and began to bounce up and down in quick, hard jaunts. I could feel her in the Force. Her dark passion, her lust, her desire, and it was overwhelmingly delicious. My own emotions were high also as the passion we shared continued to escalate I was constantly overcome with the desire to dominate and control her, and as she was moving atop me I had the distinct impression that the feeling was mutual.

I touched the Force and pooled all my emotions of desire and lust into lifting Ventress from me and rendering her helpless in the air. She lifted off me so quickly that fluid from our joining was flung along my pelvis and lower abdomen. She hovered in the air and I wasted no time getting to my feet and moving to stand behind her. Asajj's eyes were wide in shock for a moment when my hands gripped her hips and I pressed close behind her my mouth going to nip at her ear.

"You belong to me tonight." I said as I entered her from behind.

"Is that sooooo?" Her voice was a seductive purr that threatened to drive me mad.

She let out a gasp as I reentered her body and began to thrust harder and harder. At some point my control slipped and her weight was suddenly against me. I regained my grip on her and she showed her athleticism and flexibility as her legs wound around my waist while she shifted to face me again her half -lidded yellow eyes showing me the enjoyment she was experiencing. Her dark lips crashed into mine as she started to fluctuate her hips against mine in quick, tight rolling motions. Her body was tight, wet and warm all of which sent pleasure coursing through my veins. She moved her mouth away from mine and snapped her white teeth at my ear. A tingle shot through me and I moved her to the bed in to room.

I tossed her onto the bed and was immediately atop her pale lithe form. My arms shifted her around and she pulled me hard to her small chest while her pale pink nipples brushed against the side of my face sending tingling jolts through both of our bodies, and in a flash of inspiration I lightly bit one of them. She let out a moan when my teeth made contact and her hands moved to the back of my neck fluttering to the base of my skull in a lighter caress. We moved against each other for a moment more before I was spun around by Ventress's shocking strength and pressed onto my back atop the bed. Ventress shifted so she was atop me and faced away from me this time while gripping my thighs with her hands to use as a lever to move atop me once again. I reached my hands up to grab her hips and planted soft kisses against her pale white back. She moved against me as hard as I had thrust into her earlier and it caused me to let out another soft moan. However, now I wanted to control and dominate her completely as my self-control slipped away from me. I shifted to sit up while pulling her back against my chest. Afterwards, I reached my hands around and grasped the inside of her thighs and pulled her legs apart as wide as they would go. She was very flexible and soon her legs were very close to a 180-degree angle I could feel the stretch of her muscles as I began using my strength to bounce her up and down along my length. Once her legs where wide and she was completely open to me I pressed forward with my body and forced her chest to the mattress under me and I laid atop her my body eclipsing hers. My hands ran along her arms as I pinned her face down to the bed and sized her wrists, one in each hand, and raised them over her head in order to take full control of her as I continued to thrust in and out of her. She shifted her head to one side and I moved my mouth down to capture her exposed ear in my teeth nibbling on it quickly before whispering to her.

"You're mine."

And that night, she was.

* * *

I stood on the landing pad gazing out at the broken, sulfuric horizon of Lola Sayu. My back, chest, and arms burned with small cuts from the previous night's embrace with Asajj Ventress, and the cuts were adding to the discomfort felt from the planets atmosphere. I was standing bare chest as the only shirt I had brought with me was currently in tatters thanks to Ventress. I wasn't particularly upset about it though I had needed that night with my fellow student more than I realized. The rejection from Secura burned more than the cuts and bruises I had received the previous night ever could. It had felt nice being with Ventress. The well of dark emotions and power had strengthened me I could feel it. I closed my eyes and felt the Force all around me. The power and strength of it all was intoxicating. I also felt her approach me.

"Well darling leaving me to wake up all alone, a girl could get the wrong idea." Ventress's voice slithered into my ear like a serpent whispering a seductive song.

"The Force, it feels stronger today." I whispered to her whilst ignoring her earlier statement.

Ventress was at my side when she spoke again. "It doesn't feel any different to me, maybe it was just my abilities last night that enraptured you."

"From where I was sitting darling you were the one pinned to the bed." I informed her with a smirk. I couldn't help it after last night I was feeling arrogant.

"Well next time I'll have to rectify that situation." She purred as she shifted around me to stand on my other side.

When she came to stand on my other side it was then I noticed that while she had retrieved her undergarments she wasn't wearing her long flowing battle skirt, leaving a lot of long pale appealing legs visible, but although she had the rest of her clothing, including her lightsabers with her.

"Nice legs." I commented with a smirk.

"Nice chest." She commented, and then her expression turned slightly more serious. "You ripped the clasp of my skirt off last night. Now its just a piece of cloth."

"I like the new outfit, it's an improvement you'll distract your enemy."

"Hahaha, prepare yourself we leave soon. I want to go meet this Jedi prisoner." She cackled lightly and in that moment, I had no trouble believing she was the sire of a clan of witches.

She started to walk away but when she reached the door she turned her head to speak one more time before she went to begin her day. "Last night was . . . enjoyable, but let us not tell our master. Now come there are spare clothes on my ship."

I watched her leave while checking her pale legs and modest butt as she was turning to leave. I still found the cat-like grace of her walk appealing. After the previous day's rejection, I felt immensely better as I had enjoyed her body greatly. Without additional preamble I followed Asajj Ventress to her ship to get a set of fresh cloths and prepare for our mission.

* * *

The submersible that I was going to make a combat drop to the water covered world of Kamino. I was a little unsure of the upcoming drop but the equipment and the upcoming mission was no where near the most pressing thing on my mind.

" _Prepare yourself we leave soon. I want to go meet this Jedi prisoner."_

What had they talked about, or had they even talked at all? When she had said it, I was worried but when she actually went to talk to Secura I was terrified what Aayla would say. Or even worse what Ventress would. I wanted to be in the room when Asajj confronted the Jedi but I was unable to work up the courage to go as my presence may have triggered any number of situations to arise. Either one of them may have felt my connection to either of them through the Force which was a risk I was certainly unwilling to take. Perhaps I was a little too worried about it was creating a fear out of nothing. I was on edge.

Leverage, position, advantage.

About that time the intercom came on and I heard General Grievous's raspy voice over the speaker making the connection seem like it had more static than it did. "Ventress, Dahrk to the bridge."

I let out a sigh and made my way to the bridge. As I walked through the halls I tugged and adjusted the shirt Asajj had given me. It didn't seem to sit correctly which was probably because it wasn't in my correct size or something. Either way it didn't matter I would have to make due at least until after the mission. I touched the blaster on my hip and the cool curved metal of my lightsaber as I walked the halls. I was on edge and ready to begin the mission to take my mind off everything that had transpired on Citadel station. I could still hear Secura's voice in my mind.

" _Your eyes aren't yellow."_

I made it to the bridge and found my allies huddled around a table with a couple of tactical droids standing nearby. I joined them without hesitation and flickered my eyes to Asajj before settling them on the droid general.

"We will begin our strategy today. The two of you will be dropped on the opposite side of the planet where the Republic blockade is softer. There the two of you will spend two days each in your submersibles as the two of you make your way to the capital city of Tipoca City. Once you both are in the area we will begin the bombardment of the planet with our star fleet. We will sacrifice our transport ships allowing them to fall to the surface. The wreckage will contain deactivated battle droids and aquatic assault units. The deactivated droids won't trigger the scanners of the blockade once there you will deploy the aqua droids on your ships to activate the droid squads on the wreckage of the downed transport ships. Once we have a ground force we will assault the city to cause a distraction while the two of you will find and obtain the clone genetic code and flee the city. All the droids can be sacrificed but we will withdraw the armada."

We nodded and discussed the strategy for a little while longer before both Ventress and I left for our submersible ships with our company of droids. When we made it to the hanger I turned to look at her again. I found her yellow eyes on me when I turned to face her.

"What is it?"

"They will likely have Jedi protecting the clone source code. We'll kill the defenders and take the code. Dooku wants it intact."

I nodded to her. "Very well I'll meet you when we begin the attack."

She smirked. "Ohh darling I won't need your help to retrieve it, but I welcome the challenge."

"Very well let's make a game of it. I'll wait for you at the finish line." I retorted as I began walking up the load ramp of my ship.

"If you do beat me there its because I was too busy killing the Jedi."

Without another word I made my way to my command deck and was dropped into the atmosphere of the water world. As our sub vanished under the harsh waves of Kamino I felt the Force stirring. There were indeed Jedi on planet, and I was looking forward to facing them.

.

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A/N: Please enjoy and review.


	5. Clone Gene Code

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars franchise.

A/N: For those wondering the pairing for this story is a monogamous Aayla Secura along with the OC Narcyz Dahrk.

* * *

The submersible ship sliced through the deep oceans of Kamino as well as my lightsaber slashes through flesh. Ever since we departed I had remained silent focusing only on my meditation and the Force. The planet of Kamino didn't feel the way I thought it would in the Force. Lola Sayu felt how I would expect a prison for Jedi would. Dark, imposing, and strong. Kamino felt conflicted with equal parts light and dark being present. I expected one of the bastions of Republic power to feel more immersed in the light. Perhaps we had a much better shot at succeeding in our plan than I initially thought. The Force flowed into me allowing me to sense all the animals of the ocean in the water with me. I could feel the presence of other Force sensitives on the planet as well, however I felt nothing but cold emptiness in the sub with me. The Force didn't flow through the cold metal and wiring of the droids I had in my company, it never did.

I gazed back out the window at the oceans passing by as we moved toward the capital city on Kamino. It would still be a little time before we made it there which was leaving me alone with my thoughts. My mind kept drifting back to the kiss I briefly shared with Secura. In that single moment I pierce the veil the Force had surrounded her with and in that moment, I felt her light, all of it, and was intoxicated by it. In fact, when I returned to her cell I had wanted to see where it would go until she rejected me. That moment of rejection was painful. Now that I thought back to the situation I wondered if perhaps when I pierced her light she was able to gaze upon my darkness. It would explain her reaction. It was also against the Jedi order's code to experience passion, or perhaps she just wasn't interested in me I was unsure it could be any number of reasons. It didn't matter rejection was painful all the same.

I looked at the tactical droid to speak. "I'm going to meditate. Alert me when we near the target area or if we encounter resistance."

"Yes commander." It droned out and I left for a private room to meditate to hone the edges of my anger and pain.

* * *

"Commander we have arrived at the designated rally point." A droid standing in my doorway informed me.

"Very well inform the General that we have arrived." I told the droid without sitting up from my cross-legged position or even opening my eyes I was too focused on the Force in this moment.

The Force was moving against itself as if the Force already knew that the planet was about to come under assault. There were Jedi and clone troopers standing by ready to defend the city and the planet. In a flash of insight, I realized that they already knew we were coming. I bolted upright and ran to the bridge and upon arriving I was witness to the tactical droid speaking with General Grievous.

"We will begin our assault immediately than." Grievous said and was about to cut off communication.

"Wait General!" I screamed, and the droid general turned to look at me.

"What is it?" He demanded.

"They know we are coming." I informed him while choosing to ignore his tone for the moment.

"We are aware that they know we are coming, but we will continue with the attack. Now be prepared." He growled out and turned off the holo-com before I had a chance to retort.

I let out a sigh. I was originally counting on the element of surprise, but it didn't look like that was going to happen, so now I was going to have to put my absolute faith in my abilities and the Force. I felt great movement in the Force and I tried to focus in on that, but I was blinded by the light side and unable to discern more. That was troubling.

I was ripped from my thoughts and focus on the Force when a massive pile of debris, no doubt from the battle above the planet, landed in the water displacing our sub. "Deploy the assembly droids; Lets get our army ready."

"Roger, roger." From the battle droids.

"Yes commander." The tactical droid.

The droids filed out quickly from the exit hatches and set to work immediately. It took a great deal of time and I was acutely aware of several other pieces of space junk falling into the water. More droids went to those pieces and soon a vast number of droids were in the water. We had landed our army. I felt something in the water with us. Whomever it was channeled a great deal of the Force. A Jedi I realized. I looked up and saw him a Jedi rapidly swimming to the surface. I pointed at the man.

"All droids on that man! Kill him! Fire the main guns!" I barked out my orders and after a brief moment the droids began firing.

With that Jedi seeing what was happening beneath we had no choice but to attack now while we still had the advantage. I opened my com-link. "Ventress begin the attack a Jedi found some of our droids."

Ventress's seductive voice came over the com-link. "Darling child don't tell me you already failed our plan."

"It appeared he was thrown into the water for some reason and a native animal saved him. It was strange that he was able to befriend and control the animal so easily." I stated as the sub started to rise.

"Very well I suppose I will save us from your blunder this time, but be warned forgiveness isn't the way of the dark side."

"Your willingness to forgive is vast darling Jedi." I said and hung up on her whist chuckling to myself a little. I knew she would be angry, but it was worth it to goad her on.

"Prepare the landing party I must ready my equipment. I want commando droids along with destroyer droideka ready to accompany me when we reach the city's surface." After my last order I went to dawn my shawl, blaster pistol, and the new thermal grenades I now carried after seeing their usefulness on Maridun.

"Commander we have reached the surface."

()()()()()()()()()()()()()

The three clones guarding an entry point to the city floating upon the water were yanked into the air and choked to death as I led my droid battalion into the interior of the city. It felt good using the Force to dominate those who would oppose me. The dark side was singing through my being flowing in white rapids through my entire existence. It felt good. As I marched down the hallway the droids fired down various hallways at clones of Jango Fett or the Kaminoan. I held my blaster pistol in my hand, although I wasn't firing it, but I had yet to feel the need to draw my saber. These clones were beneath me and my Makashi training. I fired a blaster shot at one clone that was hiding partially behind a doorway while trying to line up an accurate shot with his rifle. My shot meanwhile was on instinct and completely guided by the Force, it took the clone full in the head and killed him. The next two shots I fired had similar results; both were guided by the Force and killed two clones.

It was then the clones sprang an ambush. While my warriors were concentrating on pressing the attack on a small group of clones that were in retreat several shafts along the wall opened to reveal a group of five or so young clones that couldn't have been more than ten or eleven opened fire on the droid battalion. It was then I decided to intervene. I focused the power, my power, of the dark side on the prepubescent clones. My eyes snapped shut and with a raise of my hands all the children lifted in the air while several of them moved their hands to their throats. I focused my anger and pain and crushed the life out of them with the Force. I felt them die and then join the cosmic Force, young lives snuffed out, and I hurled their bodies at the remaining clones that seemed to have gone into shock for a moment before they continued retreating down the hallway.

"Kill them." I snarled at my droids as I hurled a grenade toward the retreating warriors in white armor.

The explosion from my grenade rocked the hallway ripping bits of dura-steel from the floor, celling, and walls, and sending them scattering like shrapnel in down the confines of the hallway while the blow back took out a pair of droids. I raised my blaster and fired a few shots down the hall as well but without tapping into the Force to guide them they resulted in being little more than cover fire. It didn't matter most of the clones were dead already and the remaining ones would be joining them soon.

We cut a swath through the enemy defenders with devastating effectiveness as we advanced inward. It was then I felt movement in the Force. The feeling manifested itself as a distinct pull toward a certain a hallway branching from the side of the tunnel we were advancing down.

I looked at the tactical droid. "You have the squad keep causing destruction."

"Yes commander. We will coordinate with the other squads." Its robo voice droned out. I didn't like the droids. The Force wasn't with them.

"Very well." I started stalking down the side hallway away from the main conflict. "I have something to attend to."

As I walked I felt the Force surge around and guide me down my path. The intersections posed no obstacle as the Force guided me through each of my turns and I sensed what, or rather, whom I was moving toward. Ventress was in battle now and needed my help to complete the mission. I sprinted toward the conflict with my anger and excitement bubbling up in me.

The white walls, interrupted occasionally by doors, rushed by in my peripheral vison. I paid it little mind and instead focused all my attention and power on finding Ventress and helping her in her battle. I called my lightsaber into my hand with the force and relished in the feel of the cool, curved metal hilt. My grip tightened on the blaster pistol, however it didn't have the same reassurance that the saber had. It was my weapon I was a fencer, a swordsman, and hopefully one day a duelist as fine as my master. Duelists however didn't let their emotions dominate them, no they mastered their emotions to further amplify their prowess. My emotions fueled powerful dark side powers but too often I let them control me instead of the other way around. I was close to Ventress and needed to master my emotions, so I could be an asset in battle. I briefly closed my eyes and focused my passions and rage.

Leverage, position, advantage.

* * *

I reached a doorway that had been forced open and heard voices speaking within. One was Ventress while the others was a male voice I had heard before. Skywalker!

"Ventress I should've known." Skywalker spat out in a venomous tone. He was angered by her presence I felt it.

"Skywalker. . . . I was beginning to think that the Jedi would never notice me." She drooled out clearly amused.

"You know I had to come in and say hi." He retorted and I could hear the smile in his voice when he spoke.

"Back down Jedi you can't win." Ventress retorted and I could hear the raw confidence flowing from her.

"Hand over the clone DNA and I'll be happy to back down." Skywalker told the woman.

"Ohh Skywalker I can't do that." I heard the crackle of a lightsaber being ignited and I readied my blaster.

I heard a rush and the clash of combat come from the doorway, so I spun into the entrance. Ventress had already engaged Skywalker and the two of them were exchanging lightsaber strikes. I saw a small metal canister on Ventress's hip and automatically assumed it was the gene code we were after, and I knew that Skywalker was going to pursue it relentlessly, so it was time for me to attack. I raised my blaster and fired at Skywalker.

Skywalker spun and deflected the blasts back at me with great precision and mastery. I tucked my body and rolled away from the deflection. Ventress took that moment to capitalize on Skywalker's distraction and attempted a counter attack to which the Jedi knight spun and clashed his blade against hers stopping the attack cold. I fired again with similar results, so I opted for a different tactic I called upon the Force. Skywalker was partially distracted dueling Ventress so he would be at his most susceptible. I unleashed my anger, guided by my mind on Skywalker.

At first my efforts were met with a solid force that rendered the choke unable to proceed. I felt frustration and allowed that emotion to fuel my powers. The force of my frustration eroded the shield of the Force protecting Skywalker and lifted him up into the air. He dropped his saber as his hands went to his throat.

"Ventress go now!" I commanded as I approached the hovering Jedi being careful to keep my full concentration on maintaining the Force choke.

"I'm going to enjoy killing you." I said as I approached at a slow heel to toe walk being careful to avoid walking into a trap.

"guh guck, I . . . you . . guk." Skywalker choked out.

I paused my advancement as I suddenly felt a great push against my presence in the Force. It didn't move of even touch my physical body. It was a metaphysical resistance I felt only in the Force and against my Force powers. I tried to start walking forward with the intent to get within range of my lightsaber, so I could strike him down. Unfortunately for me Skywalker was powerful beyond my expectations as it was all I could do to maintain the choke against his Force prowess. I decided to go with my backup plan. I raised my blaster pistol and fired at him.

To my great shock the blaster bolt stopped midway between the two of us. I don't mean that it ran out of power or missed; I mean that it literally stopped and was hovering between us midway through the shot. It was then that a tidal wave of power pushed me back and I lost concentration on my Force choke dropping Skywalker to the floor. I was determined not to be defeated by him, so I raised my blaster and fired as I began advancing with my lightsaber in my hand, the blade coming active as I advanced. The saber humming out a comforting tune as the scarlet color painted my nearby surroundings red. Skywalker rolled to avoid my blaster bolts and pulled his lightsaber to him while getting back to his feet.

"Impressive Skywalker, imagine how strong you would be if you had both your hands." I breathed out being careful to put extra emphasis on the word both.

His lightsaber hissed alive casting a blue sheen over his body as he held it before him in both hands. "It's a good thing I only need one to beat you then huh."

I could feel the confidence all around him in addition to a powerful connection to the Force. He was strong, certainly stronger than Secura or Ventress where when I fought them in the past. He may be close to being as powerful as my master. This was going to be a tough fight; however, I was looking forward to testing my strengths against someone my master had already beaten just to see how I stacked up. I drew in my strength and touched the Force allowing the razor edge of my anger to flow through me, enhancing my body and dueling abilities since I doubted I would be able to win a battle using only the Force against Skywalker. I raised my blade in a salute as I entered the opening stance of Makashi.

Skywalker attacked first as I figured he would he seemed the aggressive type. However, attacking first did grant him an advantage as I was made to retreat. He was faster than I thought and initially it was all I could do to parry and avoid his overly aggressive strikes. It was then I realized what the issue was. He was generating a lot of kinetic energy which was throwing off my footwork. I needed a moment to calm myself and instead of using my anger to power my body I needed to instead calm down and focus on the most fundamental aspect of dueling with lightsabers; my footwork.

I withdrew one of the three grenades I carried and activated it with a robotic beep and slight click and held it out toward Skywalker and dropped it. We both bounced away from the bomb in opposite directions just as it exploded in a cloud of red, orange, and white. I had a brief reprieve from Skywalker, so I sucked in a deep breath and tried to calm the ranging anger inside my stomach, so I could focus on my footwork.

"Leverage, position, advantage." I mumbled to myself hoping the words would comfort me as I repeated them over and over in my head.

My opponent was coming for me again and I finally pegged his form as Djem So which was a form based around solid blocks, parries, and was developed for lightsaber to lightsaber combat, but it wasn't as comprehensive as Makashi was for pure dueling.

I reengaged him as used Makashi's pressing ability to force him to adapt his blocks to match my quick strikes. I spread my attack out across his entire body while slipping about the genetic storage room and occasionally using the large storage pillar in the center as a maneuvering point to throw Skywalker's aggressive style off by causing him to slow down to adjust. But wow he was strong and an amazing duelist. We traded blows, counters, presses, and strikes for nearly a full minute before either of us gained any ground. It happened quickly I felt a movement in the Force as Skywalker realized that Ventress was getting away with the gene sequence. He took several sweeping blows at me before he took a step back and took a strong leap to get over me. I swiped my saber at his leg burning his calf on the intial stroke but was unable to do any more damage than that. He landed by the door and clutched his leg; when he did that I raised my blaster pistol and fired as rapidly as I could at him. His saber shot up rapidly and went through a series of twists as he deflected the blaster bolts and sent them back at me!

My blazing saber came up to block the saber attacks and I rushed forward to try and hinder his ability to leave but Skywalker was fast also and by the time I got going he was already leaving the room. I blew out a big breath as I started to give chase while focusing on my anger and rage at Skywalker's exit. He was supposed to face me one on one in a duel not flee to go after Ventress. I knew my anger wasn't logical, but I didn't care I kept feeding my anger to fuel my Force powers and the dark side answered my call for power. There was a primal joy in running that can bring a person back to childhood when children would run everywhere because it was fun. That joy of childhood takes on an entire new feeling when it is fueled by the ultimate power in the universe. The Force.

I raced through the halls occasionally swiping my saber at a stray clone that was in my path or firing my blaster at the fleeing form of Skywalker. He was closing in on Ventress and the gene code she carried. My anger rose and this time I didn't try to quell it.

* * *

The cold rain blasted my senses as I emerged from the buildings and came onto the landing pad of the above water city. The sky was overcast as the heavens poured down a torrential storm. My clothing was instantly soaked and began clinging to my skin making any movements rather uncomfortable as the rain cracked and hissed as it was evaporated by my lightsaber. I put my blaster back in its holster as my eyes pierced through the rain to find three figures on the landing pad. Two of the figures were of about the same size and shape, both female, while one wielded two red lightsabers while the other wielded but a single blue saber. The two female warriors were locked into a vicious fight while the third figure, Skywalker, was rushing toward the fray favoring one leg.

I rushed forward to help Ventress in her fight, so we could complete our mission. Skywalker and I got to the battle within seconds of each other and I caught a strike he was pt aiming toward Dooku's other apprentice on my saber and turned it into a repost aimed at his chest. My form was perfect, and my riposte was beautiful. I would have killed the Jedi knight had the female form that was dueling with Ventress not intervened. I locked eyes with her and saw she was a Togruta female that was approaching middle age. She was a couple of inches taller than me which was unusual for a female Togruta as the one I previously encountered was much younger and smaller. The Jedi was wrapped in the traditional Jedi garments and robes although they were plastered to her. She was somewhat attractive but less so than the younger member of her species had been, although I could feel that she was far more powerful than the other one.

"Skywalker! So eager to die." Ventress snarled as she engaged Skywalker.

I turned my attention back to my new opponent and immediately attacked her not allowing myself to become disadvantaged by a more aggressive opponent this time. We both attacked and met blade for blade as I pressed, retreated, and countered my opponent. She was skilled, and I could feel the Force flowing around her but the raw and intense rage that was flowing through me and my dark side powers gave me a significant edge. She wasn't as fast as Skywalker, but she was equally skilled as a duelist and blue and red blades met one another often as we moved along the water covered bridges and arcs that connected the city's infrastructure. While on the bridge I spun the woman I was fighting around with a series of jabs and slashes as I moved around her in an attempt to halt her footwork. It worked and soon she was backing up toward the area Ventress and Skywalker were fighting.

As we battled my opponent slowly began to gain the upper hand as she and Skywalker were pushed back to back by the combined assault of our Makashi attacks. I slipped my red saber under the Togruta's guard and landed a glancing blow on her hip causing her to cry out in pain and for Skywalker to spin on me in an attempt to defend his fellow Jedi.

"ARRAGGHRAG" Skywalker cried out and I noted that Ventress had landed a blow on his shoulder.

Ventress and I were both thrown back as the older Jedi raised both her hands parallel to her body and telekinetically pushed us away. I placed a hand on the ground to regain my balance and charged back into the fray. It was a mistake as the Togruta Jedi met my charge with a powerful overhand attack forcing me down to a knee as my saber buckled under the raw strength of the attack. She engaged me in a battle of leverage as she shifted her saber along mine both of us trying to gain an edge. She was trying to bring the blade of energy to my throat in a decisive action to end the conflict as it would leave her and Skywalker to face Ventress together. I was struggling to hold her blade away. She was standing and had her entire body available to push against me while I only had my arm and a short amount of my blade available to defend. She had all the leverage on her side and she shifted even closer to me to bear down on my blade with all her strength and weight. The rain ran rivulets down her body and mine while water got in my eyes. She had superior position than I did and the predicament I was in was an insult to a Makashi user to allow yourself to lose both leverage, and position. I was all but beaten, or at least that's what I wanted her to think.

In one swift move I drew my blaster pistol free, placed it against the female Jedi and fired five times into her stomach. Her concentration shattered, and I slipped my blade around hers and sliced her arm off at the elbow, throwing her saber off the walkway into the waters below, and delivered a hard kick to send her careening into Skywalker's back. I flicked water from my eyes and rose to my full height as I started toward my fellow student.

"Ventress its time to go my darling. You can kill Skywalker another time." I told her as I noticed General Grievous' ship flying toward us.

"Let's kill them now!" Ventress cried and I could hear the passion and battle lust in her voice.

"You will pay for what you did to master Shaak Ti." Skywalker said as he rose from the wounded Jedi's side and ignited his laser sword.

The General's ship was overhead, and it was now or never we had to make a choice. I grabbed ahold of Ventress's wrist and met her eyes, the battle lust shone in her golden eyes and I pulled her into a swift and fierce kiss. When I looked at her again her eyes registered confusion and I used my grip on her arm to guide her as we leapt toward the overhead escape pod.

The pod was small and cramped with all three of us in it, and the droid general took up a vast amount of room, so Ventress and I ended up pressed closely together. I didn't mind.

"Well?" The General questioned, and I noticed he was missing one of his robotic hands.

I couldn't resist. "Need a hand driving this thing?"

The look Grievous shot me would have withered a lesser man. "You would do well to remember your place Dahrk, Dooku has two apprentices I doubt he would miss you."

I felt a slender steel vice slide over my wrist. "Now boys no need to get nasty."

Ventress's voice held far more amusement than anything else as she spoke, and I noticed she was holding my wrist with one hand and she raised the metal cylinder in her other hand. "Mission complete, let's get back."

* * *

Being back on Citadel station after a thrilling mission fighting other Jedi and striking a decisive blow against the Republic being back on guard duty, no matter how glorified, just wasn't the same. It had been a week since my return and I had yet to talk to either Sobeck or Secura since my return. I just wasn't ready to face Secura again after she rejected my affections. Most of my time I had spent in meditation sharpening the edges of my anger and dwelling on the rejection from Secura and my reassignment to Citadel station after Ventress was given another mission. It was beyond frustrating and I was using those emotions to my advantage. After seeing how outclassed I was by Skywalker on Kamino I had decided to double down and increase my knowledge of the Force. Of course, my best way I currently had to progress my knowledge was sitting in an interrogation room across the station from me, but I had yet to work up the courage to go talk to her.

I rose from my meditative position on the floor and went to the fresher to wash my face and drink some water. As I was drying my face off I looked into the mirror at the blazing blue eyes that were staring back at me and I could almost hear Secura's voice haunt me.

" _Your eyes aren't yellow"_

The rage over my inability to become completely immersed in the dark side stormed up in me and I ignited my lightsaber and slashed at the mirror over and over until the mirror, the sink, and the first few inches of the dura-steel behind the wall were destroyed. I let out a breath trying to calm down, but it didn't really work so I took a few more slashes at the wall with my lightsaber before repeating my mantra in my head.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I steeled my nerves and started walking toward Secura's holding cell.

* * *

"I need your help." I blurted out upon entering the holding cell.

"What?"

I looked all around the room, at the floor, at the celling, a wall a couple of times, and anywhere that would allow me to not look the beautiful blue twi'lek in the room with me. It was childish I know but I was so embarrassed about asking for her help that I didn't think I could look her in the eye.

"I need help connecting to the Force on a deeper level. I need . . . . immersion. For that to happen I need your help." I turned away from her as I felt my face heat up in embarrassment.

"You want my help to delve deeper into the dark side of the Force? I think you may be asking the wrong person darling. Try your Night sister lover she was immersed in the dark side.

I was sure my face was the color of my lightsaber after her last words and I tried to get my discomfort under control until it occurred to me to use it to my advantage.

"Jealous darl. . . ." I started as I turned to her until I saw the injuries that had been inflicted on the Jedi captive. Apparently with me off planet Sobeck had decided that she was fair game again.

I rushed forward and disabled the energy field restraining her and caught the damaged body of the twi'lek and cradled her close to me. I felt one of her hands reach out and grip the fabric of the front of my shirt as I brought a hand up to stroke one of her lekku as I tucked her against my chest. She was very warm and the wounds that where scabbing over caught on the loose shirt I was wearing. She had burn marks across her entire body and she had been stripped mostly naked. To increase discomfort and make the nude being feel vulnerable. I wrapped my arms around her and tried to make her comfortable while barking into my wrist communicator that I needed a medical droid. I felt her head lay against my shoulder as I cradled her. It's strange that in that moment, on the floor with an injured and mostly naked twi'lek the thing I would remember most was how relaxed she felt in her enemy's embrace.


	6. Nexus Routes

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars franchise.

* * *

The Force felt uneasy which had the side effect of making me unable to rest. I shifted on the lumpy mattress unable to get sleep as I was accosted by strange sensations that were similar to lucid dreaming, but different somehow. . . . .

 **Ventress struck at me with twin lightsabers as I danced and dodged around them and leveled my blaster at her to fire only to have the pistol cut neatly in two. I backed away quickly and withdrew a grenade from my belt to hurl at her as my other hand moved to the slot where I normally kept my lightsaber but found nothing as I was forced to dip backward to avoid Ventress's attack. Panic flew through my dream self.**

 **Where was my lightsaber, and why wasn't I using it?**

 **My lips tingled as well as if they were somehow connected to my missing lightsaber. I dodged about and tried to use telekinesis to keep Ventress away but without my saber she overwhelmed me and drove her lightsabers through my chest. I let out a gurgle as I slumped to the ground impaled on her laser swords.**

 **She leaned down and kissed my cheek gently, and I died.**

I woke up calling my lightsaber to my hand and igniting it the second it touched my flesh. My breathing was heavy as the red-orange glow cast dancing shadows in the small room I rested in. My body was covered with sweat and I felt a headache forming between my eyes.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I felt my whirling emotions begin to settle and I turned my lightsaber off as I shifted to turn the small lamp next to the bed on, but when I reached for the lamp I found nothing. With a sigh I ignited my lightsaber again this time to use as a light source, climbed out of bed, and looked around the room with it.

The end table had been thrown across the room, and was now laying on its side against the far wall next to the door. I stepped on something cold, moist, and metal near my foot, so I bent down to inspect it. It was the metal cup I had been drinking some water from before I went to sleep, and it had been smashed flat as if a massive bantha had stepped on it. My clothing and gear had been thrown about the place, and overall the room had been trashed. I extinguished my saber and closed my eyes while trying to calm down from the cold spike of fear that I felt, and allow the Force to flow through me. I felt the same uneasiness in the Force, but this time it felt more distant and slightly muffled as if it was a noise being heard through multiple layers of fabric. The immediately knew where it was coming from and pulled on my boots to go check in on Aalya Secura.

* * *

I made it to the room she was currently being held in and nodded to the five commando droids that were posted to stand guard since the night before when I found her badly damage in her cell and brought her for medical treatment. Not badly damaged, injured, she was alive and living beings got injured; It was only cold lifeless droids that got damaged. Anyhow the medical droid had done a good job patching her up, but she still needed time to recover so instead of putting her back in the energy field I mere just restrained her hands and put a collar on her to keep her restrained. It wasn't as effective as the field was for holding people, but it would allow her to heal far better than the energy bindings ever could.

"You all may stand down, return in twenty standard minutes." I informed the droids whilst walking past them and not giving the mechanical sentinels another thought. I knew they would obey they were lifeless machines after all.

"Roger commander." The programmed response came to my ears and I dismissed it nearly as swiftly, and instead was more interested in punching my code in, so I could access Secura's cell.

I was through the door the second it was open enough to allow my passage and my eyes searched for the disturbance I felt. When my eyes landed on the captive Jedi who was tossing and turning in a fitful, vision filled sleep it confirmed my suspicions about the source of the disturbance. I moved closer and immediately noticed that she was covered with sweat giving her blue skin a sheen as her eyes twitched and rolled behind their closed lids. If she was truly having a premonition like I had earlier than it wouldn't be a good idea to wake her since the complete vision was more important, no matter how curious I was about what she was seeing. I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms determined to wait until her vision stopped so I could investigate further. Now I've never claimed to be a patient man so after only a few minutes I found my foot tapping in boredom as I constantly shifted my position against the wall trying to find an outlet for the bundles of impatient energy that assaulted me.

"I hate waiting." I mumbled to myself as I returned my gaze to the distressed woman.

After what felt like a thousand and fifty standard years, but was probably more like five minutes, Secura bolted upright in the bed, which was fairly impressive given that her hands were bound, and her eyes flew wide open. The action was so sudden and violent it nearly made me react to it. Her hazel eyes were wide with fear and they started scanning the room; It didn't take long for those fearful eyes to settled on me while narrowing to slits, an action which set me more on edge than I already was.

"What's going on? . . . . . How did you get inside my head?" Her rich smooth voice accused and questioned all at once.

I took a couple of steps towards her bed and she started to recoil from me before her eyes hardened and she steeled her nerve enough to regain her stoic, detached disposition. I stopped before I got within arm's length of the Jedi and shifted my body somewhat while straightening my garments. A thousand thoughts ran through my mind about how to best approach the situation I found myself in but ultimately, I decided to just be forward about it.

"Tell me, what did you see?" I asked in a low voice and in a tone that made it sound like I was a co-conspirator in whatever misadventure she may have had.

She shifted about and I moved to sit on the edge of her bed and she glided across the bed so her back was against the wall on the upper back half of the bed while I sat on the lower front part and we squared our shoulders up with one another, and although I was in a position of strength she met my gaze completely unafraid. I felt a sudden urge to reach out to her and take her hand or maybe hold her; no in actuality I really just wanted to kiss her again, but I fought the urge down and looked her dead in the eye to meet her hazel orbs. She was clad in multiple bacta bandages, from her medical treatment the previous night, along with the remains of her tattered clothing. It was the look of a warrior queen after a great battle, and I could help it if found her breath taking right?

"What did you see?" I heard myself repeat at least some part of my mind was keeping me on track and not getting lost in her beauty.

"You already know!" She repeated rather irritably "After all you're the one who caused it."

I leveled a look at her. "Was it a nightmare about our fight on Maridun?" It was the only thing I could think of.

"No!" This time she shifted to the edge of the bed, and closer to me, as she threw her bound hands up in a gesture of exasperation. It was a funny look with her hands bound together.

"Ahh it was the thought of me with another woman that upset you so. Now I understand." I shifted closer to her. "Darling all you have to do is ask."

She shifted back to her previous position on the bed attempting to distance herself from me. "The sheer arrogance!"

Ouch, her shifting away hurt. Okay I knew she didn't want me or wasn't interested or was forbidden or whatever, but that was just flirting was I really that repulsive to her?

I stood up to turn and pace the room while throwing my hands up in frustration before turning to look upon her while gesturing toward her with my hands. "Then what was it!"

I could feel my anger surging through me and I didn't bother hiding it. She would know anyhow. Instead I focused my frustration on her and kept pressing. "Look I've tried to be as polite and easy on you as possible what with you being a prisoner and us on opposite sides but come on woman at some point you need to just tell me."

Secura stood up this time and took a few steps toward me very gingerly. I could see anger blazing in her eyes and I suddenly had to fight down the urge to seize her and pull her onto the bed with me as erotic and violent thoughts flowed through my brain. Sometimes it was more fun when it was rough and I bet in her current state she would've been very rough. But when she began screaming at me that train of thought took a back seat to my fight or flight response.

"First off you have been polite and 'easy' as you put it on me for one singular reason, for the same reason all men behave in such a way toward women, because you want to have me." She yelled directly in my face, the anger rolling off her in very un-Jedi-like waves.

"Second, I am under no obligation to tell you what I saw. I felt the disturbance earlier too and I know very well that you saw something too, but I am not pressing you for details or telling you that you owe me something and must tell me." This time she punctuated her words and sentences with quick jabs of her fingers to my chest and I felt my ire ignite.

The yelling I could handle, but when she began poking me I had enough. I rushed forward and gabbed ahold of her shoulders in my hands. I pressed her backward until she hit the wall and I surrounded her with my body allowing her a minuscule amount of movement as my greater mass boxed her in.

"You need to remember your place here little girl least I have to do the reminding!" I no longer felt any of the passionate sensations and instead my entire body shook as my anger, raw and unchecked, flowing through me. The dark side was more than welcoming to me now.

"Exactly."

She said it in such a quite soft voice that was full of emotion and vulnerability that it bypassed my anger completely and just caused confusion.

"What is that supposed to mean!" I screamed in a vain attempt to keep my anger red hot.

"My place here, I never forgot what I am here. I am a prisoner, a well of information to be tapped. Once that happens I become just a dangerous piece of meat that must be discarded in some way. I'll either be immediately killed, raped and killed, or sold as a pleasure slave." Her voice didn't hold fear, just a quite resignation like she already knew and accepted what was to come.

She continued on in the same tone. "We aren't friends, this isn't a romantic story where the two of us fall in love and live happily ever after playing house in a small cottage on some backwater planet. I'm a Jedi master, and you're a Sith acolyte we are enemies."

That hit me like a ton of bricks. I always knew she was my enemy and I knew that things probably wouldn't end well for her once we got the information out of her, which we would eventually, but to hear it aloud brought with it an entire different feel to the situation.

It made it real.

I also realized something else about the entire situation; I didn't want her to die.

"Listen girl just tell me what I want to hear and perhaps we can arrange a prisoner exchange for you." I offered.

"We haven't done a prisoner exchange at all during the entire war, and you know they aren't going to trade for me. We already captured Nute Gunray and you all didn't make a single offer, just launched an extraction raid. You all won't offer to trade a Jedi. Nice try but I'm not that gullible." The absolute confidence in her voice brought me pause.

I released her and went back to pacing the room. She didn't move from the corner and wasn't making a sound. I ran my fingers along the top of my short hair, feeling the bristly texture, and considered my options. I knew the best thing to do was just to leave the room, give her back to Sobeck, and let him get all the info while I played the loyal guard. It was the smart and logical thing to do.

I let out a frustrated growl while I threw my arms up in resignation. I felt a shift in the Force and immediately afterwards I felt a hand come to rest on my shoulder. I felt a jolt of surprise go through my body as I whirled quickly to follow the blue hands that where lightly holding my shoulder back to the Jedi master.

"I know you may call me a girl, but I am older than you and more experienced with military matters. This isn't something you should blame yourself for. If the roles were reversed and you were a prisoner of the Republic I wouldn't beat myself up over doing my duty. So, don't do that to yourself; war has casualties on all sides." Her voice came to my ears in a soothing tone that a mother would reserve for their child when they first learned a harsh truth of life.

The thing was though I already knew that harsh truth. That people died, people were slaves, people were used and abused. I already knew all those lessons, and I am sure I taught those lessons to others as well. During my short lifetime I had harmed and killed many beings, I had used and manipulated people, and had lied and cheated on multiple occasions. For whatever reason though I just didn't want it to happen to Aayla. I pulled away from her and mentally cursed to myself. She was making this too difficult I was foolish enough to bond with her and it was coming back to haunt me.

I let out a breath. "I saw my death."

"What" she responded, and I could feel her eyes boring into me as I pulled away from her grasp and moved across the room.

"It my dream I saw myself die!" I said this time a little harsher as frustration seeped in and colored my voice. I really didn't like repeating myself.

"I see, that's unusual, normally premonitions are a function of the Jedi's use of the Force, not the Sith's. But if that is what you saw you may want to take it into consideration, and not treat it as merely a dream." I heard a squeak of springs and knew that the Jedi had returned to the bed, probably so she could sit back down.

"That's what I thought too but it doesn't matter. I'll leave you be for now." I said and turned to exit the room.

"I saw the Jedi temple being attacked by someone using a blue lightsaber." She whispered so lightly that I almost couldn't hear it, but I paused at the door.

"Are you saying you saw a Jedi that lost their way?" I inquired, this was an interesting development.

She stood and took a few cautious steps toward me. "I'm not sure yet what it means." She looked me dead in the eyes. "I know my 'place' here but. . . ." She was uncomfortable? I wasn't sure but she was feeling something I had not witnessed her go through yet. "You trusted me to do right by you earlier when you let me out of the energy field and left me alone. Now I'm asking for you to do the same for me, so please keep what I told you between us."

"Afraid we are going to have another ally?" I asked a small smirk making its way to my face.

Her shoulders slumped at my response and she turned away from me. "Do what you will." She replied in a flat dead voice.

Now I was confused as to why she was suddenly upset. "What is it now?"

"I don't think you would understand. It isn't the way of the dark side to understand what just happened." She crawled back on the bed and turned away from me.

"No, tell me." I ordered.

She remained silent.

"Secura, tell me now!" My anger was rising.

Again, no response.

"Fine have it your way!" I snarled and left the room swiftly locking the door on my way out and motioning for the droids to return.

I stalked through the halls feeling my anger grow with each step. Fine if she wanted to behave like that I would be more than happy to oblige her. I hated being ignored. All she would have had to do was just tell me what the issue was, so I could do something about it instead of being even more difficult than she had been. Yes, she was a prisoner, and yes, we were on opposite sides, but I had thought we'd reached a state of mutual understanding. My anger was at an all-time high with that woman and as I stalked through the halls I reached into the Force to crush the first droid I encountered, a commando droid, before I finally was able to get the raging storm inside me to respond to my mantra.

Leverage, position, advantage.

My anger would only grow over the next few days as the dream like vision repeated itself to me along with an accompanying movement in the Force around Secura. This time however I didn't bother checking in on her and just allowed my frustration to grow as I began wondering what would provoke Ventress into killing me.

* * *

I knelt solemnly before a holo-projection of my master as he addressed me. "You did well on Kamino my young apprentice, defeating that Jedi and retrieving the clone genetic sequence was a victory. However, we must continue the push and not allow our enemy to recover."

"Yes, my master, what would you have me do?" I didn't look up at him and instead kept my head bowed as he talked.

"There are three ships that are coming in, one carries Jedi master Even Piell, one that carries the Jedi's squad of soldiers and officers he was captured with, and the third is a droid reinforcement ship that will have no life forms aboard. Currently we can no longer maintain our original protocol of Ventress or myself delivering the supplies as we are otherwise engaged."

"I understand my master." I droned out, by the Force I was starting to sound like a droid.

"The breaking of Master Piell takes top priority you and Sobeck must work together on this one my young apprentice so table your anger and frustrations toward him for now. Master Piell has vial information about a Nexus route through hyperspace that could give us an edge when it comes to troop mobility. I want that information."

"It will be done my master." I replied, and I briefly considered talking to Dooku about the vision like dreams I had been having but decided against it. It was not in the nature of the dark side to show weakness.

"Is there anything you need to report?" He questioned, and I was certain that he sensed my uneasiness.

"What do you wish of Jedi master Secura?" I asked while trying to pretend that was what was bothering me and not dreaming of my death every night.

"Ahh I had forgotten about Master Secura. Use her to help you break Piell. I am sure you can find a way to work that to our advantage."

"It shall be done. May the Force be with you my master." I replied.

"And you as well my apprentice." Dooku responded and cut the transmission as I rose to ready myself for our guests to arrive.

* * *

"We will do it together, you soften them up and then I will apply pressure to the more sensitive areas of the Jedi's ethics code." I explained to Sobeck as the Phinadian and I sat at a table discussing the best way to break Master Piell.

"The Jedi and his retainers have been sitting in holding for three days and now you decide to act!?" Sobeck screamed at me. "We should have started days ago!"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes at the warden's impatience's. "I don't like waiting either, but it builds anticipation and worry."

"You are even more naïve than I thought boy! Those type of tactics don't work on Jedi!" Although his anger was still fuming Sobeck did have a valid point.

"It isn't Piell I'm trying to make nervous or worried. This tactic is to target the officers and troopers that we captured along with him."

"They know nothing of importance." The warden exclaimed although his tone had fallen, and in the Force, I could feel his uncertainty. I figured the fact that the Jedi may have trusted the officers with information had not occurred to the warden.

"How certain that are you warden? You feel . . . . conflicted." I stated as my voice took on a far away tone that I found often freaked out non-force sensitives.

He rose from the chair and slammed his clenched fists on the table attempting to hide his discomfort behind rage. "Don't try those mind tricks on me boy!"

I met his gaze completely unafraid and didn't bother to rise from my seat. "With a mind as transparent as yours I would hardly need to use trickery, you simpleton."

That pushed him over the edge and he leapt onto the table and shuffled toward me in a menacing fashion. His enormous frame blocking any path of succor I may have had. I knew he was physically much stronger than I was and in a fist fight in a confined space I was no match. Luckily the Force was my ally, and Sobeck had no clue just how out of his depth he was.

I sprang up from the chair causing it to slide back nearly half a foot behind me as I threw my hand, palm open, toward Sobeck and unleashed the Force on him. He flew back off the table and slammed hard into the dura-steel door behind him. I didn't let up and instead I kept the steady powerful pressure of the Force on his massive bulk pinning him to the door. I slowly walked around the table while keeping my hand extended and my focus on the power of the Force along with my anger toward the man. In a flash of emotion, I considered using my telekinesis to crush the life from him, but that urge passed nearly as quickly as it arrived, and I moved to where I was standing in front of Sobeck.

"You will begin softening the Jedi for me warden, and if you dare raise a hand against me again you will not die but you will wish with all your being that you did." My voice was so calm and absolute that I nearly didn't recognize it. I was angry at being challenged and practically assaulted that I didn't think I could sound calm at all.

"Fine." Sobeck said as he broke eye contact and I could feel his resignation.

I released him, and he scuttled out of the room. I didn't pay the Phinadian a second thought as I gathered myself and started my walk toward the holding cells where the Republic officers were being restrained. I had work to do.

* * *

I had the Republic officers, and the clones they were in charge of placed in wrist restraints and hung them on hooks in a holding cell by their hand cuffs, oriented so that they could all see one another. The commando droids stood at attention ready to leap into action should any trouble occur while a pair of droids carried shock sticks ready to administer electro shock to any that refused to answer questions. The ranking member, a captain, named Wilhuff Tarkin according to records was placed in the center of all his men. I began pacing a ring behind the captured Republic fighters while feeling their minds and emotions in the Force. They were scared, but determined not to break. Good I was in the mood for fun. Without uttering a word I focused my anger on one of the clone troopers and brought my hand up in a partial claw like shape and unleashed my strength.

"ERRREEREEERRAAHHHAHHH. . . . ." His scream devolved into a sort of mindless nose as I crushed his body. Blood seeped out of him and dripped to the floor and an awful snapping and popping sound echoed through the room as his bones broke and internal organs ruptured. I tightened my grip and began to feel fatigue assault my senses the longer I maintained the grip in the crushed telekinetic attack. So, my mastery over the crushing attack wasn't quite ready for the battlefield yet as its use put to great a strain on my power and focus, but for interrogation it worked just fine.

The droids started to move toward the limp, broken body of the clone that had just died but I shook it off as I relished in the fear that every other organic member of the room was putting out. I waited a couple more seconds before I took a step into the middle of the room and did a small circle while looking at each and every remaining person.

"I trust I have your attention." I couldn't help it as a small smirk graced my lips.

I was met with absolute silence. I could hear my heart hammering in my ears, not yet recovered from the exertion of crushing the life out of the clone, and the soft sound of breathing came to my ears.

"Very well if you all have nothing to say, I will do the talking for now." I turned to look at them all again. "I am after the information to the Nexus routes and you all don't have a chance of every leaving this room until I get them. So here is the deal I am willing to offer, whomever gives me the routes first will be released free and clear while the others will remain my guests. So, decide quickly."

I let the carrot and stick hang in the air as I left the room and made my way to Piell's cell. I stopped down the hallway as I heard his screams echo and reverberate along the metal walls. Say what I would about Sobeck, but he certainly was good at his job. I could feel his utter glee in the Force apparently sadism came naturally to him. I turned on my heels, not wanting to interrupt the warden, and instead made my way to Secura's holding cell.

* * *

"Have you decided to tell me what you withheld from me the other day?" I asked as I entered not even bothering with pleasantries.

Her head snapped up to me and she looked confused for a moment before her face schooled itself into a neutral expression. "It didn't matter."

I moved a few steps closer to her and she backed away from me a step or two before she stopped and instead moved forward to meet me. Her hazel eyes shone with an emotion that made them soften. "Maybe I spoke to soon. . . ." She trailed off

"What's that supposed to mean?" I demanded.

She started to reach her hand up toward me, but my danger sense immediately went off and I reached out to grab her hand. She withdrew her bound hands and held them out to me, palms extended upward, in a gesture that I supposed was meant to show me she meant no harm. She reached for me again and even though I felt every alarm bell in my head go off to warn me of danger I made no move to stop her. She reached out with her bound hands and a few of her fingers touched the right side of my face. It was unclear exactly where she was trying to touch due to her hounds being tied together, but her fingers fluttered lightly along the side of my face. It was a gentle touch, and if felt genuine like she wanted to be touching me. I felt her in the Force and the only emotion that I observed around her was uncertainty.

"It isn't the way of the dark side to worry about personal feelings about their enemy. I realized after you left that you were concerning yourself with the emotions I felt. You were mad that I was upset." Her words were as soft as her touch and something strange happened inside me that I couldn't quite explain.

"No." I denied even though my tone didn't even convince me of the fact. "You were withholding that was why I was upset, you had something I wanted."

"Liar." She said it with a small and in a tone, that was more teasing than accusing.

"Why do you do these to me?" I asked and leaned in to her.

"Because I'm a rebel." She whispered, and our lips were separated by just a breath of air.

But just as I moved to close the last microbes the stations intercom flicked on and a droid voice echoed through the intercom. "Commander, commander, you are needed in the control center."

I felt the regret and shame flow up in Secura the second the loudspeaker clicked on and she retreated from me so quickly I didn't have time to close the gap between our lips. "We shouldn't . . . ." She mumbled out.

No, no, no, no.

"You're needed on the bridge." She said as she turned away and closed her body to me.

"Aayla. . ." I pleaded.

"I told you we couldn't, and we still can't." Ouch two rejections from the same woman.

Without a word I turned and left the room. I felt my anger rise and instead of trying to quell it I fed right into the embaressment, the anger, and the hate. The Force vibrated all around me as I stalked.


	7. A Light in the Dahrk

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars franchise.

* * *

I raged into the command center without the slightest attempt to hide my ire. "What's going on?" I snapped.

The droids almost looked uncertain and I settled my gaze on the tactical droid that had the bridge. "Report droid."

The droid straightened and began typing on a console. "Commander." It droned. "The reinforcement ship is approaching, what are your orders?"

I ran my hand over my close-cropped hair and sighed to myself. Of course, how had I forgotten that the ship full of commando droid reinforcements was arriving today? I knew the answer to that question, but I didn't want to admit it to myself. Instead of facing myself and my emotions I settled into a chair and brought up my scanning diagram from the blockade.

"Make contact with the ship and begin scanning for lifeforms. Once contact has been established do a second scan for internal power sources." I pressed a few buttons and allowed the com link to open.

"This is Citadel central command, please identify yourself." The tactical droid inquired.

"This is shuttle 81572 requesting access to Citadel prison." The droid answered.

They cleared the lifeform scanner and headed past the blockade while the tactical droid told them to prepare for scanning. I clentched my hands and tried to focus on the Force and extend it all the way to the shuttle. It may have been a fruitless endeavor as there were no life forms on board, but it had become such a habit of mine that I nearly did it without thinking. Plus, I liked using the Force it made me feel connected and alive. I had complete faith in the power of the Force and would use it in all my decision making. The shuttle was clean as far as I could tell from this distance.

"What is your cargo?" The tactical bot asked.

There was a long pause and an uneasy feeling began to grow in my stomach before the droid piloting the ship finally answered. "Unpowered commando droids' sir."

The droid at the control panel looked at me and I gave him a slight nod. He then spoke orders. "Shuttle 81572 do not deviate from your current flight path, you are cleared for landing."

I hit the shuttle with the scanner one more time just to be sure. It came back negative, so I pulled up the radar map and watched it enter the atmosphere. Everything was going well until some strange sensation hit me. The Force roared a warning to me that I felt it in every cell of my body. Something was wrong with the transport shuttle.

"Shoot it down!" I screamed as I jumped up from my post and frantically looked for the turret controls.

All the droids looked as confused as their programming would allow. "What commander?" A few of them questioned.

"Shoot the shuttle down!" I barked at them as I found the defense system controls and began activating the external guns.

"Roger roger." A few droids said while more responded with "Yes, commander."

Over the course of the next few minutes the command center became a war room as the droids began manning remotely controlled turrets and fired on the incoming shuttle. For a time, the shuttle managed to dip and dodge out of the way of most of the laser bolts but eventually sheer numbers, and the restrictions on a transport shuttle's maneuverability overcame the temerity the pilot was flying with. It crashed on the planet's surface several miles away from the prison. I felt a surge of victory and allowed myself to be satisfied for a moment before turning my eyes back to the tactical droid.

"Dispatch scout droids and send a squad of commandos to examine the wreckage." I didn't wait for a confirmation and instead I stood and walked to a private room so I could make contact with my Master.

I pulled up the holo-com and it took only a few moments for Dooku to respond. "What is it my young apprentice?" He questioned.

"Master." I said while dropping to a knee. "Something was wrong with the troop transport. I felt a flicker of unrest in the Force when it broke the atmosphere. We had it shot down and have sent a squad of droids to search the area. I still feel the unrest though. I believe the Republic is mounting a rescue op to regain master Piell and the Nexus routes."

"I see. What makes you so certain that is what's going on?" It was a fair point. Other than the Force said so I didn't really have an answer.

"It's a feeling Master; it was like the Force was warning me of treachery within that particular shuttle." I explained.

"Trust your instincts and the Force Dahrk. Ventress is in the area she can be there in six standard hours, so if there is something going on contact me again and I will dispatch her." His instructions raised competitiveness in me and slight fear. I had been dreaming about being killed by Ventress over the past few days and I didn't really want her around.

"Master I don't believe Ventress is needed. I can handle it myself." I was trying to appear to be in complete control and not give up anything about the dream I kept having.

"What you believe is irrelevant!" He snapped. "I expect you to contact me if there is evidence of the Republic near the Citadel."

A surge of anger and defiance shot through me at his tone. I didn't like being talked down to no matter who was doing the talking. However, I did stop and consider for a moment if defending a point of pride against my master was worth it. I decided it wasn't rather quickly. No matter how angry I got at him he was still my superior in every way.

"Very well Master I will contact you." My voice had a harder edge to it that I was unable to keep from my response.

"Now my apprentice there is one last thing. I am convinced that Jedi master Aayla Secura doesn't know anything of value to us. You are to exterminate her. Report to me after it is done.

It was like getting kicked in the stomach. I was left absolutely speechless as a surge of uncertainty rushed through me. I could tell Dooku was displeased with my silence on the topic, but I didn't care at the moment. After a long pause Dooku continued

"I expect a report one way or another soon Dahrk." With that he closed the holo-com and I stayed in my kneeling position for a few more moments while trying to get my raging emotions under control.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I got off the floor and stormed back into the command center. "Alert the warden to the situation and prepare a defense. I have matters to attend to." I left the command center as quickly as I came in and made my way toward the holding cells.

* * *

I came to a split in the hallway; on the right was the cell holding Aayla Secura, while the left-hand path led down the hall to where the officers were being held. If I was right, then we would be under attack soon and I wouldn't have time to talk to Secura and finish interrogating the officers. My emotions kept drawing me to the twi'lek Jedi sitting in the holding cell. There was something about her that I couldn't block out of my thoughts, but after being rebuked again and my most recent orders from Dooku I couldn't face her yet. We also needed the intel on the Nexus routes, so I made my choice and turned left away from Secura's cell door.

As I entered the room I was greeted with the smell of feces and piss. It wasn't hard to figure that the corpse in the room had released its bowls, and I found a morbid humor in seeing all the officers leaning back as far away as they could from the body, as if that would help the smell, and I could sense their fear about being in the Citadel. The fear was exactly what I intended to build when crushed the clone. I walked around all of the officers again before moving to stand in the middle of the room. I looked around to each of the officers and noticed that none of them were willing to look me in the eye. Good let them know who is in charge.

"Now I trust you all have had amble time to think over my proposal. Any takers?" The room remained silent while I basked in the discomfort and unrest in the room.

"No takers?" I continued. "Very well than I will just take the information from you."

I approached Tarkin and felt for the Force around him. I gathered it around my thoughts and flooded his mind with the dark side. I unleashed my raw power and belief in the Force against the captain. Tarkin had a formidable mind and initially I was unable to make much headway, so I opted for a different tactic. I began ripping at him mind in random places instead of trying to penetrate and find what I was looking for I just began causing as much pain to him as possible. The dark side coursed through him and I could feel his anguish I let him dwell in it for a time before I finally released my mental hold on him and took a step back.

Invading his mind was more difficult that I thought it was going to be and it left me feeling drained. It took a great deal of my will power to keep the fatigue from showing as I watched Tarkin regain awareness. He looked groggy and he seemed unable to focus on anything as his head bobbed to one side. I left him that way as my anger and power vibrated out into the room and curled around each of the restrained officers. I could feel their fear all about as the Force linked us all together. I let that fear fuel me and wrapped myself in it. As I did so I reached a hand forward and pinched Tarkin's chin between my thumb and forefinger to bring his gaze up to mine.

"I can do this all-day captain." I let the threat hang in the air. "I would hate to destroy a mind such as yours. It's a pity really."

In reality though I couldn't do it all day, even if the shuttle I had shot down earlier turned out to be nothing I didn't believe I had the mental acumen to keep up a prolonged assault on the captain's mind. However, that wasn't something he needed to know. He was uncertain and in a lot of pain which was good, but I needed to hurry this along. I focused on an officer that was in Tarkin's line of sight, which was behind and slightly to the left of me due to his head lulling to the side, and I unleashed the Force to squeeze the life from him. I heard the choking, gurgling sound that the officer made before silences reigned and I could no longer feel his life energy in the Force. Tarkin closed his eyes and let out a hard breath. The man was suffering I could feel it.

"Your loyalty and resistance are admirable captain, but there is nothing more powerful than the Force and it is my ally. Mark my words you will fail!" I snarled as I reached a hand forward toward his face and left my open palm hovering a few inches in front of his head.

"Have it your way." I told him before I started ripping away in his mind again.

"errr . . . .aHHHAEREAAA" He clamped his mouth shut at first before the pain became to much to bear and he let loose a scream.

* * *

I walked calmly into the room with an air so self-satisfaction that I could not keep from my feelings. I went to stand in front of Master Piell and was about to inform him that I had infiltrated Tarkin's mind and retrieved the Nexus codes well half of them anyhow and was going to start torturing his officers until he gave us the other half.

I entered the room to find Sobeck with a couple of his droids torturing him with electrical rods. I could feel the sadistic glee flowing from the warden with each moment of the torture. The warden was enjoying this far more than I thought he was going to. As I entered the warden turned to glare at me and I shot him a quick look before going to stand in front of the restrained Jedi. I motioned to the droids to stand down temporarily.

"Well master Piell I must say your captain is very loyal, however you and I both know he was no match for me. The Force is with us, not you so I suggest you give up your half of the Nexus codes." I was sure to emphasis the word half as I started to walk a slow circle around him.

"What would a child such as you know of the Force? You managed to invade Tarkin and break him, but the Force is with the Jedi and I, not you. You will never get them." Piell's resolve was impressive and I could feel his confidence.

"Your overconfidence is not the Jedi way Master Piell. Now I am going to make you an offer, either tell me the rest of the Nexus codes or I will give the rest of your officers to our good warden here." I gestured at Sobeck. "And he may do with them as he pleases, trust me what I did to Tarkin is nothing compared to his talents."

"Do what you will to me but leave my men out of it." The Jedi demanded.

"Now now Master Jedi you know as well as I do one fact; that isn't the way of the dark side. The officers are yours Sobeck. Please indulge yourself."

"Ohhh I plan to." Sobeck's voice rippled with pleasure and I immediately felt a shift in Even Piell's regard.

"Dark sider you underestimate my men and the Jedi. You will never gain the access codes." He sounded so confident in that fact.

"Droid! Continue." Sobeck commanded and the droids began shocking the Jedi again.

I watched on for a few moments before I turned to leave the cell. "We shall see." I told the Jedi as I left.

The reports from the scout droids never came in and after a few hours I felt the uneasiness growing inside me. I knew the droids should have reported back by now and without word I decided to go to the bridge and check for myself. Upon arrival I found the tactical droid pouring over data while the rest of the support crew was busying themselves with various other facets of the station. I wasted no time as I entered.

"Any word from the battalion of droids that was sent out?"

"Commander, we lost contact with the droids. Statistical analysis suggests that the most likely cause would be the destruction of the droids." The robotic voice was merely confirming what I already knew.

"Ready the station for battle and alert the warden of the situation." I commanded.

"Yes commander." Was the droid's response.

"Deploy additional troops to the hold cells and tell them to be on high alert. The Republic is staging a rescue attempt I am sure of it. Tell the warden his interrogations will have to wait until after the threat has passed. I will contact my master." I spun to leave the room.

* * *

I walked right past the coms room as I had absolutely no intention of contacting my master and allowing him to send the woman I kept having premonitions about to the same place I was. I decided not to ignore what the Force was telling me. Instead I walked right into the cell block, pleased to see that my orders had been followed and the guard had been dramatically increased, and walked right up to Aayla's door. As I reached for the control console my fingers hesitated. After my last visit, and my orders from Dooku, I was unsure how to proceed. I almost kissed her and now I was being ordered to kill her. I realized that I was being a coward in about a split second, but still was unable to open the door. I had never been so conflicted about an order in my life.

"Quit being a coward." I mumbled to myself as I punched the access code into the door and was denied. I was denied!

I drew in a long breath and tried the code again. This time it was accepted, so I supposed that I must have accidently hit the wrong button when punching in the initial code. I was really off my game apparently, but as the blast door rose I decided to go in none the less.

"You're conflicted." Aayla said as soon as I opened the door.

"What?" Wow I really was off my game as her comment bypassed my brain entirely.

"Your vision has troubled you and left you unsure what to do about it." She explained. "You don't have anyone to turn to for guidance, so you come here to be near me."

I considered that for a second, and wonder, is she right? "I suppose you have lots of time for reflection and thought with all the free time we've granted you. Now tell me am I on your mind a lot lately?" I felt a warmth in my belly when I asked.

"I have." The warmth in my belly spread as she confirmed her thoughts, and I waited in the silence for her to continue. She just looked at me.

"Do you care to continue?"

"No." She flashed a dazzling smile of white teeth at me.

"Why not?" She was frustrating me.

"Because." Another smile

I took a step forward and drew upon the dark side and wrapped the Force around me. "I am in no mood for games."

She met my eyes completely unafraid. "But I am."

I moved forward in a sudden burst of speed, fueled by my rage, and seized the bound woman by the throat with my right hand. Her neck was thin, and delicate, and I had long fingers, so I completely encompassed her throat. Here it was, I could easily complete my orders and all I had to do was squeeze. Her eyes widened slightly but other than that she gave no indication that she was at all concerned with my actions. In fact, she was still smiling at me although it had been reduced to just her lips. Her lack of reaction seemed to drive my anger further and I flooded her with the dark power of the Force. As my darkness crashed into her light I felt very delicate fingers touch the palm of my left hand. I wasn't expecting her to even bother with my left hand, the hand that was currently at my side, so that action distracted me from my focus on the Force and the wave of darkness I had drawn upon to envelope us vanished as her fingers curved into the palm of my left hand and her fingers wove in between my own. Her hands were very warm, and I could feel the few hard spots where callouses, no doubt from decades of lightsaber training, had formed. Aayla's smile vanished and was replaced with a look of concern while her eyes had shifted from playful to deep pools of empathy.

"I don't want you to die." Her voice was very soft and held nothing but genuine compassion. Here I was an acolyte of the dark side sent to kill her and she was worried about me.

I released her throat and found myself unsure as to what to do next. The darkness, and conviction I had gathered in the Force was suddenly banished by her light. I felt her in the Force as a spot of warm light surrounded by cold darkness on all sides, my darkness I realized. She took a step closer to me and I became lost in her presence as our bodies touched lightly. She was still in rough shape with several bandages still clinging to her form, and she had not had proper hygienic care in some time, but it wasn't her physical presence that was encompassing me. It was the way the Force surrounded her.

"I know you've felt it, people are coming for a rescue attempt. You could come with us, come with me." Her eyes completely dominated my mind as the last of her words rolled off her tongue and I could help but wonder what going with her would mean.

"I . . . ." I was at a loss.

"Come with me, and I'll take you to the temple, I'll vouch for you and perhaps the Jedi and the senate will grant you clemency and. . ."

I cut her off as my anger at the mention of the Jedi order and the Galactic Republic surged inside of me. "And what? Become a pawn to the corrupt Jedi order, or used as an expendable piece in some senator's doomed gambit? Or what become your Padawan learner? No thank you." I released her hand and moved toward the exit door.

"I didn't mean anything like . . ." She began

"What did you mean?" I snarled as my anger at her suggestion grew.

"Will you listen to me or are you too angry to be rational?" She said it in a tone that was more accusation than question.

"Listen to you say what? That I get to be a nice little Republic lacky, or better yet a Jedi? Where do I sign up?" Even I could feel my sarcasm dripping from the words.

She shook her head and let out a heavy sigh. "Forget it." She turned her back on me and walked back to her cot.

"Fine!" I spat at her retreating form.

Suddenly Secura's attention was diverted elsewhere and less than a second later I sensed what she obviously felt. Living beings many full of light were descending on the station. I felt a brief moment of smugness as I found them in the Force; I was right, and the Force was on my side. I didn't allow myself to dwell in my success however and I started toward the door. That was until I felt Aayla Secura's Force grip settle on my arm. I spun drawing my lightsaber while gathering the dark side of the Force all around me to ward off the twi'lek's telekinesis. I need not have bothered as the manifestation of the Force wasn't meant to strike at me, but to merely get my attention. I extinguished my lightsaber once I realized what was happening and turned my attention to the Jedi. Her eyes held that same soft emotion that I still couldn't place, and as that emotion coursed through the rest of her she became marvelously beautiful both in my eyes and in the Force.

"The people coming here aren't the ones that you see each night killing you, are they?" She took a step forward and made an almost pleading gesture with her bound hands. "Please leave with us, leave with me."

I felt a lump in my throat and I didn't trust myself to speak. I turned and left the room as a strange sense of loss coursed through my body. Her last words haunted me as I moved back to the command center to summon Sobeck to ward off the intruders.

' _Leave with me.'_

* * *

Sobeck manned the command chair as he barked orders to various droids regarding defensive placements and telling them what blast doors and vent shafts to close. I didn't bother aiding in giving orders to the droids and instead I found myself lost in thought. 'What ifs?' where constantly flowing through my mind as I was haunted by Secura's words before I parted, and why had I not killed her as ordered? The alarm bells that where ringing all throughout Citadel Station barely registered in my mind as my mind wondered.

"Dahrk!" Sobeck's shout broke me from my mental vacation.

"What?" I snarled angry at being caught lost in thought and trying to cover it up.

"There are Jedi among the attackers they are cutting up my droids with laser swords! Do something!" He demanded.

I felt a surge of anger and I focused my rage on Sobeck in a telekinetic choke hold. My hand flew outward and curled into a partial fist. I raised my hand to lift the warden out of his seat and into the air as I let the threat flow through the room.

"Do not make demands of me Sobeck, I will deal with the Jedi. You will focus on maintaining the prisoners." I turned and left the room while releasing my Force grip. I was greeted with a sound of impact and a grunt of pain.

I moved through the halls as quickly as possible toward the holding cells. I could feel three Jedi in the Force along with a handful of clones; and I could feel fear and nervousness flooding through the entire station. It made me feel alive! The Force was flowing all around me and never in my life do I felt more connected than I did when the dark side permeated the area. I moved quickly through the halls toward the holding cells where I was sure the Jedi would be going. The alarms went silent and the loudspeaker of the station crackled to life.

"The Jedi have split into two groups. One is headed toward the holding cells, the other to" Sobeck's voice, a little raspier than it had been, informed the mechanical guardians and myself of the current situation. Since I was headed toward the cell block anyways I found it convenient that my prey would meet me there.

I heard the unmistakable zip-zap sound of blaster fire echo through the base from off in the distance as I navigated the mazelike hallways with relative ease after having been stationed here for so long and emerged in the cell blocks to find the backs of commando droids that were engaged in a heated battle with clone troopers and a Jedi, who I recognized. It was the young Togruta girl that was with Secura during the battle on Maridun. I paused at that for a moment as I watched her cut down another of the commando droids with her yellow lightsaber. Strange last I saw her I could have sworn she only employed one saber in combat. Perhaps she had grown since then, but it was irrelevant in the current situation anyhow she would fall all the same. I eyed the clones that were hiding behind the Jedi, one was working on the security panel to a cell door while the others fired on the droids. I wasted no time pushing my anger toward them. My arms flew forward with the effort as the unseen power of the Force lashed out and threw all but the one working on the door backwards off their feet and onto the ground. The Jedi turned her focus to me and I gave her a smirk as the commando droids advanced on her.

"Give up Jedi and maybe we will throw you in a cell instead of killing you." I felt a wave of anger roll off the togruta at my words.

"You'll pay for what you've done to my fellow Jedi!" She shouted anger obvious in her high voice.

"And for what I did to you?" I inquired with a smile my droids started picking off the clones that had been thrown from their feet.

The clones were gathering their weapons and getting back on their feet. "Vengeance is not the Jedi way, but it is our way, join us girl." I offered.

"I'll never join you!" She shouted at me and took up a fighting stance. The holster on my belt didn't make a sound as I removed my curve-handled lightsaber from my belt and extended the blade.

"Pity." I said my voice light and slightly regretful. I gestured to the clones that had nearly recovered. "Kill them." I ordered the droids.

Blaster fire erupted in the hallway as the droids opened fire and the Jedi let out a yell as she valiantly tried to defend her troop, unfortunately for her she was overwhelmingly outnumbered and several of the clones were killed in the initial volley. I sensed her pain and rushed forward baring my saber attempting to capitalize on it. She brought her guard up just in time to catch what would have been a fatal blow as she spun and engaged me with her swordsmanship. Her form was raw, and not as refined as my own. Certainly not nearly as refined as a master of the craft would be, but she was making up for what she may have lacked in experience and refinement with raw passion, amplified through the Force, to enhance her physical attributes. That combined with her duel wielding of lightsabers made her quite the dangerous foe. Unfortunately for her the Force was my ally and I could sense where her strikes were going to be placed often times before she was even aware of it. If only my master could see me now, I thought as the Force and my mastery of Makashi flowed through me in tandem, deflecting strikes from the Jedi, and maneuvering her into the position I wanted. Her strikes met mine again and again as she whirled, spun and struck at me with the longer green saber first before following up with the smaller orange blade. I deflected and parried blow after blow until the opening I was after presented itself. I caught her longer green saber along my blade and shifted my position, and her arm, to provide a small opening into which I strike.

A hiss and a crack of metal being super-heated pinked through the air as her longer green saber was sliced in twine by my counter attack. She recovered from my counter quickly and launched another barrage of attacks, but without her second saber to help deflecting the attacks was easy, and I bore down on her with my Makashi press until her back hit the wall giving me the opening I wanted. With two quick strokes of my lightsaber I scored hits along her shoulder and calf causing her to slump to the ground in pain. As she fell I threw a backhanded blow at her arm, knocking her lightsaber from her hand and down the hall, and followed up with a barrage of vicious kicks to the stomach before landing a final kick at her temple rendering her unconscious.

The blaster fire all around me began to die down as I noticed only four of the original commando droids remained while only the clone that was working on the cell door was left. The door began to open as the last clone was cut down by a blaster bolt and my focus shifted from the downed Jedi to the opened door as Jedi master Aayla Secura emerged from the cell and took in the aftermath around her. To her credit the time imprisoned did nothing to dampen her combat instincts and she brought her hands up as she threw a telekinetic blast at the remaining commando droids sending them back and breaking them apart. I brought my blade down to hover over the downed Jedi as Aayla's light the Force around me.

"Narcyz, please." She called as her hands extended toward me. The raw emotion in her voice made me pause.

This was the opening I needed. I could run the togruta through without an issue and then close on, and kill, Secura. Only, I encountered one problem; my feet wouldn't move. I couldn't believe it I had won, and I was unable to claim my final victory.

The blue woman started a cautious walk toward me, and I shifted into a fighting stance. My shift didn't discourage her and soon she was standing less than a meter away from me. She had made no move to call upon the Force, or anything else that may have been a potential attack. Instead she had just moved closer. I brought my saber up and down on her in a strike so quick she was left unable to react. Her hand bindings feel to the floor with a light clank that echoed through the empty hallway, and I returned my lightsaber to my belt.

"Go." I told her and started to turn and walk away when I felt her touch my arm with a hand. I turned to meet her deep hazel eyes.

"Thank you." She said as she moved completely into my personal space her hands both going to rest lightly on my chest. "Come with me, please."

My arms moved of their own volition as they moved up and encircled Secura's lithe frame pulling her closer to my body. It felt right holding her close. Her hands moved down my chest and wrapped themselves around my waist as her hands came to rest on my lower back. The weight of her head fell on my chest a moment latter and I could feel the shifting of her lekku along my arms.

"Join me." I mumbled and felt her tense slightly and I could feel her conflict.

It took her a long moment before she answered. "I can't." Her voice was very quiet and resigned.

"I can't either." I told her.

"I know." Her arms gave me a small squeeze.

"You should probably go before another squad of droids arrives." I informed her and immediately hated myself for doing so.

"I know." She still didn't leave my arms.

We stayed like that for a long moment before we broke the hug and she moved to retrieve the downed togruta's lightsaber before turning her attention back to me. She stared at me for a long moment, and I felt myself flush under her gaze, before curiosity got the better of me.

"What is it?" I asked and she started to walk back toward me.

"Why are you letting me go?" There was something in the way that she said it that made me believe the question had more weight to it than what was spoken.

I met her eyes and told her the truth. "Because I don't want you to die either."

The next thing I knew she was in front me and after a moment of uncertain hesitation she lifted onto her tip toes and press her mouth against mine, her lips parting as her tongue invaded my mouth. I felt a surge of emotions shoot through me before I began returning her kiss, my arms weaving around her. I felt her fingers touch my left cheek as we kissed, her other hand wrapping around my waist. It felt good kissing her and in that instance, all my anger, pain, and hatred, that is to say the dark side, vanished. I was immersed in her light. The kiss didn't last nearly long enough before she pulled away from me, her hands leaving the embrace, and she regarded me with her deep emotion filled hazel eyes.

"Please don't die, I want to see you again."

With those words she turned from me and lifted the togruta girl over her should and headed down the hall. My lips tingled where her mouth had been, and I was at a loss for words or action. Although, one thought would remain clear in my head.

I missed her.


	8. Conflicted

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars franchise.

* * *

I slowly brought a hand up and ran a finger along my tingling lips while my thoughts and emotions consumed me. I felt an unmistakable joy that Aayla had kissed me. That emotion was mixed with a sense of triumph at receiving something that had been denied to me, and finally I felt a sense of confliction at failing to accomplish the task Dooku had given me. I had failed to kill her and instead sided with her to let her go along with another defeated Jedi. I felt hatred and anger for myself rise in me and I was worried for a second, I would throw up as the nausea assaulted my senses. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to steady my nerves while concentrating on my anger and self-hatred. When I reopened my eyes, I had found my center and took off down the hall towards Master Piell's room intent on stopping his escape or ending his life, whichever was required.

I arrived at the holding cell to find the aftermath of a battle involving droids and, if the lightsaber marks where any indication, Jedi. I tore through the wreckage of several droids as I walked to the cell door to find the smooth edges of lightsaber cuts along the door's frame. I didn't bother to check inside as I already knew it would be empty and instead focused my senses into the Force to try and find where the enemy force was fleeing to. I felt two distinct groups moving but all I could gauge was the general direction, and not the precise location on a map. Instead I had a compass direction, and both groups had moved in opposite ones. More than likely Secura had taken her fallen Jedi comrade in one direction while the other invaders moved in the other so after a brief moment to remember which direction Aayla had fled toward I took off the other way.

* * *

The rescue squad left mechanical scraps of destroyed droids all through the halls which gave me an obvious trail to follow them by. The trail continued to leave mechanical detritus in its wake as I followed it only to find at the end a vicious battle in progress between a battalion of droids and a few retreating clone troopers being led by a pair of Jedi. In the haze of battle several things stood out to me immediately. The first was the pair of Jedi that where leading the clones because of the relative fame of the first; Obi Wan Kenobi, and because the second was supposed to be in an interrogation cell being tortured; Even Piell. The second was the fact that the warden of Citadel Station, Osi Sobeck, had taken the field to lead the defense. The third and final thing that jumped out at me was the fact that Sobeck had the remaining clone troopers and the pair of Jedi on the ropes. We were winning the battle! A sudden surge of pride, and comradery flew through my body at Sobeck's tactical abilities and I felt my opinion of the phindian alter slightly in his favor. The sheer number of droids on our side allowed us to overwhelm the small squad that contained only two Jedi and seven clone troopers.

Just because we were winning didn't mean that I shouldn't partake in the battle. I focused on the clones in the back and channeled my negative emotions. My anger, my self-hatred, and my raw disappointment in myself for failing to kill Aayla all on a pair of clones as I twisted my hand upward and into a half-closed fist. The results where immediate and violent as the pair of clones were jerked off the ground by an irresistible strength and suffocated. Upon seeing the display of Force powers against the clone troopers the two Jedi immediately turned their attention to me and I could feel their regard as their powers pushed against my own testing my strength. I didn't hold back as I unleashed all of my raw hatred and anger upon them driving trying to drive their presence away from me. Our battle of wills lasted less than a second before the Jedi returned their immediate attention to fight off the advancing battle and commando droids led by Sobeck.

As I returned my attention to the overall battle I noticed a clone trooper, who was being shielded by the other members of his squad, planting explosive charges in the hallway. My eyes widened at this realization and I began thinking up why they would mean to blow this hallway. It didn't provide a great tactical advantage as their where ways around it. It wouldn't cripple other facets off our infrastructure. The power generators or the com link would do that far more effectively. It then dawned on me why they would do it. To divert attention.

I focused on the small explosive charges that the clone currently held in his hand and using my telekinesis activated the arming button. I felt the clone's panicked fear as he tried to toss the bomb away while yelling at his comrades.

"GET DOWN!" rang out through the hallway and I took the clones advice and turned back around the corner and pressed up against the wall as deafening noise roared through the hallway leaving my ears ringing.

I drew my blaster pistol, turned the corner, and began opening fire on the surviving clones and Jedi. The survivors were telling something to each other but the confusion caused by the blast seemed to hamper them even more than the ringing in my ears as the two Jedi, who were injured and bleeding, tried to drag a single surviving clone further down the hallway. Because of the blasts close proximity, and the fact that many more charges where placed in the hall, the majority of the damage had been done to the Jedi and their clone allies. Although several parts of what I assumed to be battle droids littered the hallway. I aimed my blaster pistol at the clone the pair of Jedi where dragging away and allowed the Force to help me guide a bolt through the visor of his armor thus killing him.

Sobeck pushed his way free of a pile of droid parts that had been thrown by the shockwave of the blast and began barking orders. Luckily for me the ringing in my ears didn't clear until the last of his orders had been shouted. ". . . . . . . and lock it down!"

"Yes commander." The droids responded and began filing out.

"Sobeck I believe this was a diversion. We need to marshal our manpower and stop them from getting off world."

"I know that!" Sobeck barked at me. "I just sent the droids to lock down the hanger."

So that was what he was yelling about. "Good warden. They have split into pairs and divided the information. I have half we need Piell to complete the information. He is our top priority the Republic officers don't matter." I instructed the warden.

"Very well. We need to make contact with Count Dooku he will want to know what has transpired here." He turned to leave, no doubt to concentrate on the defense, but I drew upon the Force to help me paralyze him in place.

My arm stretched out and my hand partially curled at just the tips of my fingers as I focused my telekinetic powers on restraining the large phindian.

"You will not contact Dooku." I didn't mean for my voice to come out so harshly, but my words were a low threatening snarl.

"Dooku left very specific orders to contact him if anything where to occur further with the prisoners. You wouldn't disobey a direct order, would you?" The creature smiled, and I gritted my teeth together as disgust for the warden bubbled to the surface.

"Warden!" I snapped. "Let me be crystal clear on this. If you contact Dooku. I! WILL! KILL! YOU!" I punctuated as I screamed at him.

He stared at me for a long moment and I could feel the fear in him. "But. . Dooku left orders." He mumbled in a vain attempt to sway me.

"I don't care." I informed him.

"You would disobey your master?" He questioned and this time he didn't seem amused, he seemed confused.

"Disobedience is the way of the dark side." I released him and walked away.

* * *

I made it up to the landing pad in time to witness entire legions of battle droids being deployed to defend the ships docked there. I stood on the precipice, and violence was in the air and surging through the Force. I could nearly taste the blood to come when the Jedi and their allies descended on the landing mat to try and take a ship. I was eager for it to begin and unleash my darkness on them. The sun was setting, I noted, and the weather was starting to turn fowl both of which would hamper our defenses but with the sheer number of droids here and my abilities with the Force we would have no difficulty stopping the Republic. Although on second thought it would be a good idea to stack the deck in my favor.

I pulled out my communicator and held it up to my mouth. "Have the droids remove the fuel from the ships tanks. I don't want any ship here able to take off."

Sobeck responded after a moment. "Disregard that order, I don't want to be stranded on this planet."

"Sobeck." I growled. "You will begin removing the fuel from the ships now."

"Narcyz listen to me." I felt anger grow in me at the familiar way in which he addressed me.

"Shut up!" I demanded of the warden and didn't allow him a chance to retort. "You think that if we remove the fuel from the ships we won't have a means of escape, but you are making one wrong assumption. We won't be stuck on this planet with them. They will be trapped with us!"

"Dahrk we can't. . . . . ." He started

"Just get it done!" I snapped and turned off the communicator effectively ending the conversation.

It took a few minutes before maintenance droids appeared on the scene and began removing the fuel from the star ships that littered the landing zone. They got to work attaching tubes and fuel lines and soon the roar of machinery dominated the area. As they were removing the fuel it began to rain.

* * *

Hours passed by and I huddled myself closer underneath the overhang while pulling my shawl tighter around my body in a vain attempt to stay dry and ward off the rain. I gazed over the small squad of commando droids that I positioned as snipers while they sat in the ready position rusting in the rain. I was beginning to think the Republic fighters had been killed or perhaps found another means of escape. I didn't dwell on that thought as I could still feel the Jedi through the Force on the planet. Unfortunately, I wasn't yet powerful enough to locate them, so I stuck to this tactic and waited. Fortunately, my patience paid off when the grenade was thrown into the horde of droids standing guard on the landing platform. The explosion rocked the courtyard as droid parts were thrown about in an angry orange and red cloud. Jedi, their lightsabers drawn, led the charge into the landing pad as clone troopers came in on their flanks spraying fire in every conceivable direction in what looked like an attempt to provide cover fire.

I motioned to the droid snipers positioned up here with me. "Fire on the clone troopers."

They obeyed wordlessly and began focusing powerful blaster shots at the advancing clone troopers. The human copies took a couple casualties initially until one of the Jedi dropped back to defend them. Kenobi whirled his saber in a beautifully styled defensive maneuver and sent one of the bolts ricocheting back to destroy the droid that fired it. In the next second I lost another droid to a deflected bolt. Master Even Piell wielding a green lightsaber rushed forward and his small form bounced about as he struck down battle droids while advancing to a star ship.

I smirked at the tiny Jedi's attempt as a wave of self-satisfaction rushed through me. Even if he made it the ship wouldn't take off. The Jedi were pathetic.

I stepped forward and knelt to the ground to pick up one of the heavy X-45 rifle laying next to the droids and settled into a prone position as I pressed my eye near the scope. It had been years since I practiced with long rifles but when the stock settled against my shoulder I felt my instincts take over and I shifted into a prone shooting position. I sighted one of the clones and fired.

The shot flew true but was deflected at the last second by Kenobi's blue humming blade. I gritted my teeth and fired several more shots at both Kenobi and the clone to overwhelm him. He was to good for that however, and in an impressive display of defensive prowess he stalemated my attack. I shifted my focus and looked to my left at the remaining commando droids.

"Fire on Even Piell the Jedi with the green saber." I ordered.

"But commander, the warden said . . ." one of the droids started to protest.

A shrieking of metal cut off the droid mid-sentence as it was crushed as if by a great invisible compactor. I turned my glare upon the remaining droids. "Fire on Even Piell." My voice was calm and, hopefully, deadly.

"Roger commander." The responded and without preamble fired on the diminutive Jedi.

The battle below us continued to rage on as the Republic fighters battled through the horde of droids defending the landing zone I focused on the Force. It binds us, flows through us, and shapes us and I let it flow through me as I aimed the rifle at a clone trooper and, without bothering to calibrate the shot or even aim it other than point it in the direction of the target I wanted to hit, I fired. The shot flew across the landing zone and tore through the trooper's white combat armor. The shot half spun the man from before he landed in a crumpled heap; dead. I wasted no time in sighting the next trooper and allowed the Force to guide my shot. It resulted in another death as the shot pierced his visor and sent the corpse sprawling. Only a single clone trooper remained and he along with the pair of Jedi retreated to cover behind a storage building that held spare transport parts. Droids quickly converged on their location and began a steady assault to wear the pair of Jedi down. The three Republic warriors began to fight valiantly, but they knew as well as we did that their temerity would only delay the inevitable.

It was then that Anakin Skywalker, along with Aayla Secura joined the battle with the newly freed Republic officers and a squad of clone troopers in their white armor. The beautiful twi'lek immediately drew my eyes to her and I noticed that most of her striking form was covered by a brown cloak similar to the one Kenobi wore. the cloak had been slashed into an uneven hem at the bottom no doubt to accommodate her shorter status. She was wielding the short orange lightsaber the togruta girl had employed during combat. I had to hand it to Secura though she was leaps and bounds ahead of the lightsabers previous owner's skill in combat. I watched her flutter about the landing zone for a moment striking down droids as her oversized cloak, pulled tightly against her, billowed with each movement. She was graceful. She was beautiful. She was powerful.

Why didn't she join me?

"Don't go down that road." I mumbled to myself as I viciously fought down the unusual feelings that bubbled up within me.

"What commander?" One of the droids asked.

"Nothing! Fire on the Jedi." I snapped.

As the battle continued I stood and repositioned myself along the rampart as the new squad attempted to cut a path to their trapped comrades. As I settled into my new position a reinforcement of battle droids arrived to box in the squad of Jedi and clones that Aayla was leading along with Skywalker. I fired into the melee, allowing the Force to guide my shot, and dropped the only remaining clone that Kenobi had near him. Soon the second squad was stalled in their advance to their allies as they were forced to fight on two separate fronts. The droids closed in all around them, but instead of surrendering they continued to fight on. That shocked me.

I fired the next shot before I even had time to process what was happening, and I watched as the bolt passed between the outspread hands of Secura, who was employing the Force to push droids away, and tore through the head of a commando droid who had raised its weapon and was about to fire on the twi'lek. Aayla followed the trajectory of the shot back to me and our eyes locked while my eyes widened. She held my gaze for a brief moment before she flashed a very white smile and winked at me, before returning her attention to the battle droids around her. I sat the rifle down and my head came to rest in my hands. I couldn't believe what I had done. I took a deep breath.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I needed to focus on my mission. Another deep breath.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I had to banish the beautiful face, sweet voice, and caring eyes of Aayla Secura from my mind.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I had to complete my mission! So why didn't I shoot Secura instead of the droid?

As I was coming out of my own head an explosion rocked the area and I opened my eyes to watch one of the star ships explode in a blinding flash as metal bits flew all about. The Jedi and the republic fighters used the explosion for cover as they fled the landing zone while the droids attempted to regroup. I stood from prone position.

"AFTER THEM!" I screamed.

But part of me hoped that Aayla Secura would get away.

* * *

I navigated the confined interior of Citadel station in a daze. I wasn't sure what I was doing or even where I was going all I could feel was confusion. Just as the hallways began looking familiar I felt a tingle in the Force directly behind me and I spun, blaster at the ready, to investigate.

"Ohh darling aren't we jumpy." Asajj Ventress's amused tones glided along the narrow hallway.

My eyes widened, and adrenaline began pumping through my system at the sight of the lithe Dathomirian woman. I had not even sensed her. How did she get here? And how did she even know to come here? Millions of thoughts and questions rushed through my head.

"I'm going to kill Sobeck." I growled between clenched teeth.

"Tsk tsk tsk." She clicked her teeth. "For merely doing his job? Isn't that a bit harsh?"

"Listen Ventress as much as I'd like to trade barbs with you I have more pressing matters to attend to." I snapped at her as I turned to keep walking her hand lashed out and she grabbed my wrist in her slender vice-like hand. "Not so fast." She said.

I spun on her quickly ready to attack until I felt her press against my body and crash her lips onto mine in a fierce kiss. I felt the dark side flow through between us as lust spiked and surged through Asajj. Her other hand pressed against my stomach and ran along my waist, but I felt myself unable to return her kiss and instead my hands ran along her arms, stopping at her shoulders, and pushed her away. Her face registered annoyance at my actions.

"We have more pressing matters." I reiterated and turned to walk toward the command center.

Her eyes became hard. "Fine business then. I'm here to clean up your mess."

"Everything is under control." My patience was nonexistent at this point and in the back of my mind I was plotting Sobeck's death.

"That isn't what the warden told Dooku." Even without looking at her I could hear the smile in her voice.

"Your presence here is unnecessary I will soon have both halves of the Nexus route coordinates and the incursion force dead." I tried to sound confident, but I was off; had been off ever since Aayla's kiss, and it was the worst time to be off.

"I always found your assurance endearing but misplaced. Like that of a small child." She goaded me.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I remained calm. "I speak that way merely because it is the only way you understand."

I heard her smile again as she spoke. "Let's go see what is going on in command then."

I noticed as she spoke that we had already arrived at the conjoining hallway and it took but a few short steps to emerge into the busy room filled with multiple tactical droids analyzing various amounts of data. Sobeck sat in a chair with his hands in a steeple while listening to the various droids reporting in. The command center had turned into a war room. My eyes roamed over the screen that hosted the camera footage for the base. Many of the screens were blacked out. I concluded that the Republic teams had disabled them, and I tried to create a mental map of the facility. That was until I heard Sobeck's voice and spiteful, petty rage rushed through my blood.

"The escapees are rushing toward the outskirts of the station. Quickly deplo . . . . . . ." He to speak until strangling sounds cut him off.

My curled fingers raised lifting the phindian up off the floor and higher into the air. I watched him choke and struggle helplessly for a few moments. I felt Asajj next to me take in a gleeful satisfaction at the wardens suffering and my current use of the Force. I felt her press closer to me her entire body melding to my back as her hand ran along my outstretched arm and rest on my wrist her fingers lightly encircling it.

"Dooku will be displeased if you kill him." Her voice was husky, and something told me that she wouldn't mind if I killed the warden here and now.

Leverage, position, advantage.

I mastered my anger and rose Sobeck a few more feet off the ground before roughly flinging him across the room and releasing my hold on him. He landed with a thud against the metal floor as his limbs flopped in various directions and he was slow to start moving again. I came to stand right over him and then squatted down until our eyes met. I held his gaze and could feel his fear in the Force.

"This isn't over." I threatened in a low harsh voice and delighted in the fear he felt at my words.

"Whatever you say." He mumbled back in a vain attempt to retain his pride.

"Now that you boys have gotten me all hot and bothered how bout we go find us some Jedi to kill." Ventress's smoothly accented voice purred.

"Let's go." I said rising and headed to the door. "Sobeck contact us with their location the moment you have it."

* * *

It didn't take long for Sobeck to give us a more precise location other than 'outside Citadel station' and once he did Ventress and I led the various droids of war to assault the small squad of Jedi and clones. In this more open environment our superior numbers would give us a huge advantage over smaller fighting forces. The last time I saw Aayla she was with her fellow Jedi, and since then I had been given to reason to suspect otherwise. The Force was clouded to me, my inner conflict no doubt causing it, and I was off balance. My inner conflict got worse as we neared the location they where supposedly at. I didn't want to fight them, but I wanted to carry out Dooku's orders and obtain the Nexus route information. I didn't want to kill Secura but Dooku had ordered it and I didn't want to displease him. Man, I'd give anything to not be me right now.

"From the reports we have received it would seem we are dealing with five Jedi. One has been injured and in no condition to fight, two have been prisoners here so their skills have likely deteriorated from their confinement and interrogation." She emphasized interrogation in a way that almost sounded lustful.

"Yes, so two will be at their peak, two will be operating at reduced capacity and one will be an almost nonexistent factor." I summed up. "Think you can handle a pair of Jedi?" I smirked.

"I'm not the one I'm worried about. After all you have failed already." She taunted.

I smiled wider. "Ohh my dear Ventress are you worried about me?"

She rolled her eyes.

I pressed on. "Because you know if you keep worrying I might start thinking you like me."

She sighed. "You can be such a child."

"Ohh so its motherly worry then?" I continued and found the distraction from my inner turmoil to be welcoming.

The clashing sounds of battle interrupted our conversation and Ventress snapped her attention forward and drew her lightsabers. I lifted the heavy rifle I had been using and prepared myself. With the rifle I figured that I could avoid having to come face to face with Secura for a time at least. I knew I was being silly, but I was so off balance I didn't know what I would do. About that time our com-links buzzed.

Ventress opened hers and I scooted closer to her, not bothering with my own communicator. Sobeck popped up on the projector. "Our blockade in orbit has just been engaged by the Republic star fleet they are trying to get landing ships past our star destroyers be alert."

The transmission snapped closed while Ventress let out a sigh and I considered my options. I still had no idea what I should do. So, we proceeded with the attack and launched the full force of our droids against the small squad of fighters. As the battle progressed I was aware of the pieces that moved about like figurines on a gameboard, but I was unable to do much more than watch and occasionally keep track of where key members were. I noticed that master Piell wasn't even among the fighters and I worried that maybe he had escaped. Secura had the young Padawan I had fought earlier against her body and the two women tried to protect the togruta girl as the droids attacked from all sides. They were retreating, and we motioned for the droids to advance. As I started to move forward Ventress's communicator beeped and I paused just as she did.

She locked eyes with me after seeing the incoming call and motioned me away. "Go and finish them, I'll catch up."

My senses spiked when she said that, something was going on and she didn't want me to know about it. I nodded. "Hurry up wouldn't want you to miss out on the fun."

I hated being kept in the dark it made me angry. Anger was a path to the dark side, so I took that anger and used it to steel my willpower and my Force abilities as we advanced on the Republic soldiers. It was then that the clouds parted slightly, and Republic gunships came hovering into view and opened fire on legions of droids advancing on their comrades. I lifted my rifle and fired a shot at the ship as the rest of the droids followed my lead and began firing away. It was then I heard the quiet hum of an ignited lightsaber, no two lightsabers, behind me. I spun and raised the rifle up just in time to avoid being cut in half by an angry slash from Asajj Ventress. I tossed the two halves of the now useless rifle at Ventress as I backed up and dropped on of the grenades from my belt onto the ground. It rocked in an explosive burst and kicked up dust and debris everywhere. My hand moved quickly to my belt to draw my lightsaber. . . . and slapped only the clip I used to hold it. My eyes flew open at that development and I drew my blaster pistol while trying to ignore the tingling in my lips. Had Ventress planned this and taken my saber from me when she kissed me? Anger exploded through my body and the dark side of the Force answered my call just as Ventress emerged from the dust cloud her red lightsabers casting scarlet shadows along her lithe form. I threw both my arms toward her and she was thrown back as a rush of kinetic energy lashed out and flung her from her feet.

"You betray me Ventress!" I screamed at her as my mind went blank from rage.

"You failed Dooku for the last time. He told me to kill you!" She screamed back, and I could feel her in the Force but paid no mind.

"Give me back my saber then let's fight as equals!" I retorted.

She laughed at me as she charged. I drew my blaster and fired on her. She swatted it away in annoyance and kept pressing the attack. She knew I had no way to defend myself close range so she was attempting to get in close and end me.

Ventress struck at me with twin lightsabers as I danced and dodged around them and leveled my blaster at her to fire only to have the pistol cut neatly in two. I backed away quickly and withdrew a grenade from my belt to hurl at her as my other hand moved to the slot where I normally kept my lightsaber but found nothing as I was forced to dip backward to avoid Ventress's attack. I knew my lightsaber wasn't there, but it was an old habit when in close quarters combat to reach for my weapon.

My eyes widened as a sense of Deja vu settled over me. I knew what was coming, I had known what was coming next for a long time now, so I spun as the lightsabers came in to deliver the death blow. Pain radiated through my left shoulder and side. The pain erupted through my system and I fell to the ground breathing heavy and clutching at my wounds. Asajj was never a woman I would have described as imposing, but as her small form appeared over me with raised lightsabers I reconsidered that opinion.

Damn, I was going to die.


	9. Light and Darkness

Disclaimer: I do not own or profit from the Star Wars franchise.

* * *

As Ventress brought her sabers down I took the cowards way out and closed my eyes. After a beat I realized I wasn't being cut apart by blazing hot laser swords, so I opened my eyes and saw another lightsaber over me in a guard position blocking Asajj's lightsabers. Scratch that I saw MY lightsaber blocking Asajj's deathblow. Where had my lightsaber come from? I wondered as I followed along the red blade's length to find a blue hand clutching the curved hilt. My eyes widened as my lips tingled. During our kiss Aayla Secura had taken my lightsaber.

That bitch!

I laid there completely dumbfounded for a moment as the two women glared at one another.

"Nice lightsaber, I suppose I know how you got out of your cell." Ventress sneered with hatred dripping from her words.

"Your forms sloppy no wonder Narcyz was the favored apprentice." She quipped back as she pushed her blade aside and I used the opportunity to roll away from the two.

I heard the harsh sounds of blades of plasma clashing against one another as I turned to face the two and watched their battle. Ventress was a ferocious fighter that made up for what she lacked in the execution of Makashi with a second lightsaber and focused rage. Of course, that wasn't anything I didn't know or had not seen before, but Secura was a different story. The only time I had seen her in a duel was when we fought in the confined mobile base on Maridun, and there she didn't have the room to utilize the acrobatics of Ataru to their full potential. She moved with oiled grace as she leapt around the Dathomirian woman while launching attacks from various angles. Ventress had to whirl and swirl to keep in constant motion in order to deflect and defend against Secura's mounting attack.

I was so enraptured by saber display that I almost didn't notice the shift in the Force as the droid battalion shifted their focus and their loyalty. Almost!

My gaze turned and met the yellow eyes of Osi Sobeck. The warden had arrived on the battle field and was pushing the remaining republic fighters, minus Aayla, across a sulfuric river that cut a jagged yellow scar across the landscape. The droids closed in quickly and Sobeck threw a sneer my way as his hand came up and he motioned droids to advance toward me. I threw my hands up and unleashed a wide arcing wave of telekinetic Force energy at the droids while channeling all my hatred and feelings of betrayal into the blast. My results were immediate and satisfactory as droids where ripped from their feet and thrown backward. I expected Sobeck to order additional troops to join in the assault but to my surprise and pleasure I noted that he had opted to follow the Jedi's squad across the river to continue the attack on them. I refocused on the battle between the two female Force sensitives.

Ventress was going to win that much was clear. Secura while mounting a fierce attack was tiring due to her constant use of acrobats, and unfortunately the acrobats were the only thing pushing Ventress back. The droids I had knocked over were beginning to get back up so I had to act fast least I be overwhelmed. Currently the entire Republic squad minus Aayla had crossed over the sulfuric river leaving only the two of us against an army of droids and my former comrade. A surge of kindship flew through me and I knew my best chance was to help the beautiful twi'lek. I concentrated on my feelings of betray; It wasn't hard, and soon the feeling cut through my guts like a hot knife as I unleashed the Force on Asajj Ventress. I threw all of it at her the hatred, anger, and feelings of betrayal. In that moment I hated her for everything she had just done to me. I wanted to kill her.

The blast I threw at her picked her off her feet and sent her hurdling down the side of the hill toward the droids. In the next moment I focused on the blaster of one of the battle droids and ripped the gun free from its mechanical grip. I caught it and started to fire on the downed Ventress with fire and fury in my veins. I was so caught up in firing the blaster attempting to kill my former sibling student that I didn't notice Secura's approach until her hand encircled one of my wrists. I turned to face her and vaguely made out that she was saying something to me, but my anger was so great that it took a moment before I could become coherent again. I felt her tug on my wrist as she turned her body while taking a step in the opposite direction of the droids, but I didn't move. She turned back to me.

"Come on run!" She all but screamed at me.

I gritted my teeth together in anger. I wanted to kill Ventress. "NO!" I screamed back.

"We have no choice fighting will just get us killed."

"You took my lightsaber!" I don't know why I said that, but I felt I should be offended by it anyway.

"Run with me and I'll give it back." She said as she pulled my wrist again.

"I need to kill Ventress! She betrayed me!" I attempted to turn to keep firing. Droids were coming up the hillside now.

I felt a gentle hand grasp my chin and turn my head. In the next instant Aayla pressed her lips against mine. Unlike our previous kiss this one wasn't filled with lust, it wasn't a kiss longing to be expanded on, it was her final plea to me to come with her, and it tasted of her kindness and the light inside her. As she pulled away from me I felt illuminated similarly to when she kissed me when I freed her from her cell. My anger didn't evaporate, my hatred wasn't extinguished, and my hurt didn't ease per say but it did get further away and allowed me to think clearly. I nodded to her as we turned to flee the oncoming droid assault. Our feet flew across the ground but the only thing I could feel was the tingling that returned to my lips.

* * *

We made it to a small cave system several miles from the heart of Citadel station before we felt confident we had lost the droids pursing us. We fell in a heap onto the floor of a small cave gasping for breath as my muscles informed me of their discomfort with each rise and fall of my chest. Aayla landed next to me and her hand reached out to lightly rest on my own I took the offered hand in mine and held it firmly in my larger grasp as we caught our breath. I recovered first and sat up, releasing her hand, to look outside the cave.

"I think we lost them." My raspy voice spat out.

"Good . . . we need to get off . . . the planet . . . got to find a way to meet up with the rescue ships before they are forced to retreat." The twi'lek gasped out between breaths obviously her time in captivity had weakened her.

"Where is the extraction point?" I asked her as I mastered my breathing.

She drew in a deep breath and let out a wheezing cough before responding. "Our last known extraction point was on the bank between the pair of rivers we were near."

I let out a growl of frustration. No doubt the squad had already been extracted. "So, what your saying is we're stranded!" I spat as the anger rose in me again.

I stood up as I looked about the cave, it was pretty standard as far as caves went I supposed, dark jagged walls, and a cold uneven floor. I took stock of the area until my eyes landed on Secura again and lingered there. I extended my open hand toward her.

She met my eyes and we locked our gaze for a long moment before she glanced down at my hand while reaching out tentatively to take it. I felt her fingers, slender and warm, in my hand and used that connection to lift her to her feet. She stumbled slightly into me and I wrapped my arms around her to catch her. Aayla lifted her face up to mine while breaking into a smile.

"Hi." Her wide smile gave a softness to her words.

The corners of my lips curved upward. "While I do enjoy having you so close." I squeezed my arms slightly and lowered the position of my hands on her back. "I was asking for my lightsaber back." I finished with a smirk.

"Oh . . . I see you know most men would be thrilled to have a twi'lek so close." She said with a wink and a wide smile.

"I think even they would have preferred one that had been given a bath in recent history and wasn't covered in sulfuric waste from a wounded planet." I retorted but my repost slid right off her just as it has so many times during her captivity.

"Maybe I'll let you scrub me clean then." This time her smile morphed into a mischievous grin as she pulled away and made an exaggerated show of stretching before returning her eyes to mine and winking again.

I reached forward, grabbed her arm and pulled her back to her spot against my chest. She seemed so surprised by my sudden action that she offered no resistance as my hand lifted her chin. I looked into those soft hazel eyes again before lowering my lips to find hers. The previous events finally catching up to me I just wanted to be close to the beautiful Jedi and forget the pain and ease the loneliness that surged back up in me at being abandoned by my master and betrayed by my fellow student.

She turned her head away from me and gently pressed her hands against my chest in an effort to push me away. Pain was etched onto her delicate features. I was suddenly keenly aware of the sweat, grime, dust, and all the other substances that probably clung to our bodies after the day of combat we had seen. We certainly didn't smell appealing and I could feel tiny shards of grit clinging to Secura wherever I touched her. I released her from my grasp and she looked at me her eyes full of apologetic sympathy.

"Look . . . "She started, and I felt the familiar feeling of rejection rise up in me as she began. We had been through this before. "It isn't that . . . "

"Yea I know." I cut her off feeling the hurt well up into me and turn into passive anger. "You're a Jedi, code forbids it yada yada. I know its fine." Did I really just say yada yada.

"Narcyz . ." She began again.

"There are also more pressing matters like getting off the planet, retrieving the Nexus route information, winning a galaxy wide civil war. I get it, another time, another place, another us and maybe but not with us here and now." I finished and brushed past her completely unwilling to meet her eyes as I bent to retrieve my lightsaber from the floor and clip it back onto my belt.

I felt a small hand reach out and seize my wrist and Secura's voice held a knifes edge as she spoke to me. "Will you just listen for a second instead of presuming you know everything."

Anger rose up in me and with it the dark side like an old faithful companion came to my side and embraced me. I roughly swatted her hand away and began walking toward the exit of the cave as my anger clouded my every thought.

"I'm going to get off this planet are you coming?" I asked with a snarl as I began walking while my anger and pain clouded my every thought. I needed to calm down. I heard her soft footfalls behind and to my left.

Leverage, position, advantage.

* * *

We walked in an uncomfortable silence across the scarred landscape for a time before Secura stopped and sighed at me. "Do you know where we are going?"

I took a few more steps before stopping and took in a deep breath because honestly, I had no clue where we were headed I just had a vague plan of getting off this planet and was going from there.

"Ventress wasn't here when the attack began so she had to have a ship to get here, but it didn't land in the hanger since if you recall we were there defending I'd have noticed a ship landing. I plan on finding her ship and departing in it." My plan sounded a lot better once I said it aloud than it had when I was making it up in my head.

"Why can't we just go steal a ship from the hanger? That would probably be easier to do since most of the droids are out here still." I sighed it would have been easier.

"Sobeck, the warden, got it in his head that the Republic incursion wouldn't be able to escape if the ships had no fuel since we shot down their ship." I lied.

"I see the warden took the fuel out of his ships . . ." She trailed off and something told me she could tell I was being deceptive. If the light side was able to see through me I must be losing it.

"Yes, that idiot did." I growled.

"I sense there is more to your plan." She pried.

I hesitated briefly before I continued. "Well there are only a couple of places that would allow a ship to land in this landscape, it is one of the reasons this place is so inescapable. I'm leading us to the one I think she most likely used."

Secura paused for a moment. "So, you don't know where we are going." She stated as she emphasized the word don't.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes as I turned to give her what I hoped was an exasperated look. "Did we get married when I wasn't paying attention? Because I know you weren't about to argue with me about directions."

She flashed me a mischievous smile of very white teeth "Yea I filled out the paper work for our marriage just before I jumped in and saved your butt against Ventress."

I felt a surge of frustration surge through me. After her rejection of my romantic advances she had the nerve to dig at that wound with an insinuation that she married us? I called to the dark side and the dark side answered as it wrapped itself around me. It flowed through my tired muscles rejuvenating them and sharpening my senses. I noted that Secura had taken a few steps away from me and had a look of worry in her eyes.

"I don't think that is a joke you want to make after you just rejected me." I snarled at her. I knew I was being stupid acting this way but with the pain and the dark side coursing through me I didn't care.

Secura's eyes became hard and her postured turned from cautious to confrontational in a heartbeat. "The hubris of the dark side never ceases to amaze me." She stepped closer to me as her eyes grew hard and met mine. "If you would have listened in the cave you would have known that I was willing to discuss a romantic entanglement when we made it to the extraction point, but that now wasn't the time because we had to move quickly!"

The anger and head of steam I was working up vanished and left me feeling even more foolish than I initially thought. I just hoped my mouth didn't hang open as I contemplated what her words meant. I felt my cheeks flush and I turned away to start walking again. This was getting far too uncomfortable.

I didn't get more than three steps before she called out to me again. "So, you're just going to walk away then? Fine let's find this kriffing ship!"

I just kept walking while trying to fight down my embarrassment. We would find the ship soon and hopefully when we got there I would figure out something to say to salvage a little of my dignity.

* * *

Well that is going to be an issue." Secura said as we crouched behind an outcropping and watched the multitude of commando droids guarding Ventress's starship move about in tightly formed lines.

I pulled my lightsaber from my belt. "I count twenty-five commando droids, seven droideka, and thirty B2 superior battle droids. Between the two of us we should be able to carve them up."

"Just one problem." She mumbled and spiked my curiosity.

"What might that be?"

"I don't have a lightsaber." She admitted and looked down at her hands.

"You had the yellow saber from the Padawan." I said as I turned to meet her eyes for the first time since my embarrassing outburst earlier.

"I did, I returned it to Padawan Tano." Her hazel eyes bore into me and I broke eye contact as it turned awkward.

"Fine then we destroy them with the Force and my lightsaber." I was careful to emphasis my lightsaber as I turned my attention back to the patrolling droid.

"Sith lightning would probably fry them up easily." I did my best not to cringe at her suggestion. I never had learned to conjure lightning.

"Go ahead then." I made an open hand gesture toward the droids.

"I meant you." She fixed her gaze on me.

"That isn't going to happen." I informed her trying to hide my discomfort on the topic.

"Why not?"

"Look we can stand around here all day talking about it and watch Ventress come back with more droids, or we can move on the ship and get off this forsaken rock." I snapped at her unclipping my lightsaber from my belt.

"What's the plan?" She asked as we both rose.

I tossed her my lightsaber. "Don't lose that, I expect it back. We are going to go out there, kill droids, and take the ship."

She caught the saber clumsily, and as the shock registered on her face her gaze flickered between me and my lightsaber currently clutched in her hand.

"You attack them with the saber and keep them off me." I told her as I focused inward and touched the feeling of betrayal and rejection to infuse my power in the Force.

"You're giving me your lightsaber?" She had an inquisitive look that contorted her beautiful features.

"I'm letting you 'borrow' it." I emphasized. "I fully expect it returned."

"Very well I'll take care of it." She shifted it in her hands to hold the curved hilt more in her palm. She had figured out the trick to the grip.

We both rose and began moving toward Asajj's ship as stealthily as we could. The climb down was rather treacherous and if the Force wasn't on our side there wasn't any way we would have made it down the incline. It was probably why Asajj picked this position, a deep valley surrounded by mountainous terrain, for its defensive location. We made it down and looked out over the flat sulfuric terrain we were about to do battle on.

"May the Force be with us." Aayla whispered.

I let out a snort of derision and she immediately turned her attention to me.

"What?" She questioned with slight anger in her voice.

"You Jedi make no sense." I told her.

"What's that suppose to mean?" She questioned again.

"That the Force is always with me!" I exclaimed as we went down to face the droids.

* * *

We rushed in quickly attempting to overwhelm the droids before they mounted a solid defense against us. I reached out through the Force and picked up many of the droids and crushed them in the air before they had a chance to move.

"Were under attack!" Came the high-pitched tone of a battle droid.

Secura didn't allow that droid, or any of the droids near it, to speak again or even let out a blaster shot as she took a great leap forward and swiftly cut them down leaving sliced up and broken machine parts behind. I spotted a blaster rifle on the ground and called it to me through the Force, raised the blaster, and took out another droid as I ran forward weaving in and out of blaster fire with the guidance of the Force. I spun to avoid another shot and fired to take out another droid before refocusing my attention on the ship. Aayla had carved a path to the entrance and I rushed forward infusing my limbs with the power of the Force and made it to the docking bay where the twi'lek Jedi was fending off the droids. I reached out again concentrating my anger on the nearby droids in order to crush them. The wrenching of metal resounded across the sulfuric valley as the final droids were finished.

I turned my attention to the ships external door panel and attempted to access it. Unfortunately, technology was never my strong suit and whatever security measures the Dathomirian had taken were sufficient enough to keep me from accessing it.

"What's the hold up?" Aayla questioned as she came and knelt next to me to get a look at the control panel.

"The security measures are keeping me out." I told her as I tried in vain to access the door again.

"Watch out, I'll take care of it, here." She pushed my lightsaber back into my hand and scooted me aside.

I stood up and paced awkwardly feeling rather emasculated. "I don't see what you'll be able to do the encryption is rather solid." I told her awkwardly looking around pretending to be on guard duty.

I heard a low beep and a voice, colored by a smile, called out. "Got it!"

I couldn't meet her eyes out of embarrassment. "Let's go then no telling how long we have to get off this rock."

I brushed past her while trying to beat down my embarrassment and entered the starship's loading dock. Looking around the room showed me things were organized nearly the same way as the last time I was on the ship. I felt Secura come to stand beside me and in the Force, I could feel her smugness and self-satisfaction at beating the security encryption. I shuffled through the area while pushing away some of Ventress's clutter with my foot before moving to the cockpit. Once arriving I set a course off planet and engaged the hyperdrive engine. In moments we had left the atmosphere and entered hyperspace with almost no opposition. I leaned back in the chair and felt the well of emotions hit me as my body began to relax. I closed my eyes briefly as my ears registered a slight squeak next to me indicating Aayla had taken a seat at my side. We were relatively safe in the rapid speed of hyperspace, so I took a moment to get my emotions under control.

Leverage, position, advantage.

* * *

"I'll set a course to Republic space once we meet up with the Jedi we can . . . ."

I cut her off as my eyes flew open at mention of the Jedi. "No! No Jedi!"

I sprung from my seat and began moving about the room in a nervous fidget the idea of going to the Jedi for help brought me a feeling of disgust. It was hard to explain the deeply ingrained feeling of resentment I felt toward the Jedi. After all I had spent my entire adult life, however brief, and most of my formative years being taught how wrong the Jedi are.

After I calmed down I voiced my conclusion to Aayla. "We don't need their help. We don't need the Jedi!"

I couldn't stop my eyes from following the shifting of her hips from side to side as she rose from her seat and walked to me while placing one of her small strong hands on my forearm. "I'm a Jedi though."

"You're so much more." My lips blurted out before my brain had a chance to weigh in on the statement.

She eyed me curiously as her face crinkled into a confused expression and I immediately got the sense that she had never considered herself anything more than a Jedi. It was a shame really that such an amazing person only saw themselves as one thing. I reached out and placed my hands along her upper arms as I looked into deep pools of hazel that threatened to swallow me.

"You're a powerful and noble woman who remained a compassionate and forgiving person even through all the torments you've been through. You saved me even after I took you prisoner. You fought at my side and trusted me even though I am a follower of the dark side. You're powerful, noble, kind, compassionate . . . beautiful. . ."

My words died in my throat as I lunged forward and captured her lips between my own while snaking my arms around her body pulling her close. She relaxed into my grasp and rested her weight against me while her lips tentatively parted allowing my tongue to slide into her mouth and wrap itself around her tongue. My hands dropped to rest on her hips while she slipped her arms under my own and hooked her hands around my shoulders. Passion ran through me as I lifted my mouth from hers and kissed her cheek, then her neck as my lips made their way to her throat. I lightly bit into her neck and she released a soft moan as her hands flew up and cupped the back of my neck, and in the next moment I felt her lips press lightly into my temple.

I broke off the bite on her neck and kissed the side of one of her lekku softly before shifting my grip on her hips and leading her into one of the adjacent rooms connected to the command bridge. Secura shifted some in my grasp and I felt her soft body cuddle against mine. Her very feminine form felt good in each and every spot it connected to me and a surge of possessiveness roared up in me.

"Where are we going?" She breathed against my ear sending tingles down my spine.

"Here." I replied as we stumbled and fell to the floor.

Our bodies moved as a single thrashing organism as we moved against one another along the floor our mouths finding each other's again and again while taking short breaks for breath. Our hands ran along and explored each other's body in a clumsy fashion as our hands got tangled in one another's clothing. Her mouth shifted down and kissed my throat once sending tingles down my body and fire to my loins as I pressed her hard to the floor beneath me and shifted onto my knees as my hands set about the task of removing her damaged shirt while trying to be careful to avoid the bandages that still covered her. She shifted her torso in an attempt to help and I beamed a lustful smile at her when she lifted her head to kiss me again before I removed her top. It was thrown across the room and promptly forgotten.

She arched her back upward to me drawing attention to her modest breasts as she gave me a smile and moved her hands down my back. "Your turn."

I rose my upper body and felt her small hands pull my shirt halfway up and I took over pulling my shirt off quickly and tossing it to join hers. I let my eyes wander over her exposed torso and smirked lightly at her as slight embarrassment shone in her eyes before dropping down to join our lips again. I broke from her lips and dropped my mouth down her throat and trailed kisses across her collarbone, along her chest, to arrive at her flat toned stomach. She flinched when I pressed my lips to her abdomen and her hands came up to rest on the back of my head. When I kissed her a second time she flinched again, and I quickly realized she was ticklish, so I shifted my position and looped my fingers into her pants. Her hands wrapped around my wrist, so I looked up to meet her eyes and saw the hesitation in them linger for only a moment before she released my wrists and rose her hips upward. I pulled the hard leather like leggings down her body while kissing the blue flesh that became exposed. Aayla leaned her head back and let out a soft moan as I bit lightly into the interior of her thigh.

"We . . . the . . mhmmm . . ." She was breathing hard as she tried to speak.

"I want you." My breathing was hard too.

In response she rolled her hips upward and I ran my tongue along her eliciting a moan from the twi'lek. I kissed and licked her as she shifted and rolled her hips over and over all the while her grip on the back of my head tightened. She suddenly went ridged from head to toe before relaxing under my ministrations I pulled my head away from between her legs and looked up at her. Her eyes where closed and a soft smile graced her lips as she let out light moaning purrs. She opened one eye and looked at me before flashing me a full smile.

"I want you too." She said as she shifted her hips under me.

I jerked down the top of my pants as I slide back along her body laying kisses on her stomach, chest, and neck again. Her hands slide down my back and gripped the flesh of my back as I came to rest over her and our eyes met again. I could see the passion in them as well as some fear; this was after all a forbidden practice for Jedi. I leaned in and kissed her again in an attempt to ease her doubts before rolling my hips and entering her.

She sucked in a sharp breath and her nails dug into my back as I rocked our bodies back and forth. She tucked her head into my neck slightly and I stiffened as her motion tickled my neck slightly. I dropped my head and kissed along her collar and chest. She relaxed under me slightly and her nails released their grip on my back. I ran my hands down Aayla's arms and gently gripped her at the elbow, pulling her arms from my back I pushed them to the floor beneath us and interloped our fingers. Her hands were swallowed in my larger ones and I dropped my mouth to hers again.

It was the night I touched the Light.


End file.
